The cast of Prime Video’s The Lord of The Rings: The Ring of Power was in Mumbai last week as part of a global tour that included premieres in Los Angeles, Mexico City, and London.
From making their carpet entry in open-top autorickshaws to interacting with Bollywood celebrities like Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar, and Tamannaah Bhatia, or rubbing shoulders with the city’s iconic dabbawallas and visiting the Gateway of India, the show’s cast saw the best of Maximum City.
"The questions we have been asked (in Mumbai) have been deeper and more specific than what we have been asked before. So thanks to all the journalists here," Ema Horvath, who portrays the Númenórean lady Eärien, told Inside Amazon's Chirag Bhuva.
At a press event on August 18, the cast and crew met and interacted with celebrity fans of the franchise, Hrithik Roshan and Tamannaah Bhatia. Tamannaah described the franchise as “engrossing and captivating”.
Premiere Night
At the premiere held on August 19, the excitement in the air was palpable. "I am feeling overwhelmed. I feel like I have left my body and I am hanging above...," Horvath told Inside Amazon's Chirag. Horvath and her colleagues made a grand entrance on the carpet in true Mumbai-style in colorful autorickshaws, accompanied by traditional dancers.
The cast and crew—many on their first visit to India—immersed themselves in the colours of Mumbai with a visit to the Gateway of India and interacted with the city’s dabbawallas, while enjoying a traditional meal from dabbas.
From the moment I got here, the spirit of the people and the excitement has been palpable. The food, sights, the people...everything has been wonderful.
Hello Middle Earth
So what can fans expect from Season 1? Starting September 2, Prime Video subscribers in India will be able to watch the epic saga—which is set thousands of years before J.R.R. Tolkien's legendary trilogy—in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. The prequel, described by New Zealand’s Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash as “the largest television series ever made”, will launch in more than 30 languages.
Screenwriter and Showrunner JD Payne says the season reintroduces people to Middle Earth.
People will be surprised to see where evil will emerge from. Really it’s a story about emotions—imagine the things that are the most important to you, such as your family, friends, community, work; imagine if suddenly it was all under threat of being taken away—how far in the darkness would you go to protect these?
Premiering in India
Prime Video's decision to premiere the show in India was influenced by several factors.
We have seen fantastic customer adoption in India and the country has witnessed the maximum number of new customers worldwide who started streaming on Prime Video last year.
Within just five years of launch, India has become one of the fastest growing and most engaged locales for Prime Video worldwide. Indian originals now have a massive fan following globally too; one in every five viewers of an Indian Original series is from outside India.
The countdown to the premiere continues. Keep an eye out for updates and follow all of the news on the official Lord of the Rings on Prime Twitter account.
