 "Hollywood star Hugo Weaving launches the trailer of 'Maya' by 'Tumbbad' fame Anand Gandhi")
“For those who control the bard, control everything,” declares Hugo Weaving’s commanding voice, as he introduces the heart of MAYA - the story we didn’t know we were already living. Created by visionary filmmaker Anand Gandhi (Ship of Theseus, Tumbbad) and award-winning game designer Zain Memon (SHASN, AZADI), MAYA is a monumental new work of science-fiction fantasy from the next-generation storytelling studio, Department of Lore Inc.
Weaving’s narration of this epic teaser has immediately sparked widespread speculation about his larger involvement in the ambitious transmedia project. The trailer debut comes as MAYA makes its presence felt across two continents simultaneously, with major showcases at Worldcon 2025 in Seattle and an unprecedented architecture exhibition at IFBE Mumbai - marking an incredible week that positions MAYA to take the world by storm.
A Universe Where Being Offline Makes You the Most Dangerous Person Alive
MAYA presents a sweeping science-fiction fantasy for our hyperconnected age. In this world, a network of sentient trees known as “Maya” acts as the living internet of planet Neh. Citizens “tether” daily to Maya, entering shared dreamscapes while immortal Divyas harvest data to see billions of possible futures. Everyone is tracked, everyone is “nudged” - except one person - whose freedom threatens everything.
Anand Gandhi said,“MAYA is the project we’ve always dreamt of making. An epic that brings together our love for ancient myths and their philosophical depth, our love for high-fantasy and its magic systems, our love for hard science-fiction that builds upon and pushes the known frontiers of science."
“We began by creating a new world. And like the Saganian apple pie, we built everything from scratch. We got geologists, biologists, linguists, architects, artists from around the globe to build this new world with us,” adds Memon. Developed over four years, MAYA unfolds across films, games, novels, graphic novels, and immersive experiences. The first upcoming product from the universe is a novel, MAYA: Book One, launching soon on Kickstarter.
MAYA Commands Worldcon 2025 and IFBE Mumbai
As Weaving’s trailer reverberates globally, MAYA is simultaneously making its mark at Worldcon 2025, the world’s most important science fiction convention (August 13-17, Seattle), where Anand Gandhi is presenting MAYA to the global SFF community. The appearance at Worldcon marks MAYA’s introduction to the international genre fiction audience, alongside the most significant voices in contemporary science-fiction and fantasy.
Concurrently, MAYA serves as the opening exhibition of The Independence Project at IFBE Mumbai (August 14-17), where Gandhi and Memon invite audiences into the expansive world for the first time ever. The multi-day exhibition features breathtaking art by celebrated global concept artists. It also showcases the sprawling worlds created through visionary architect Shikha Parmar’s speculative pedagogy at CEPT University, where students reimagined built environments for diverse fictional species. Visitors will also experience inventive environment design ideas from pioneering architect Vinu Daniel, and attend panel discussions featuring Sameep Padora, Vinu Daniel, Shikha Parmar, and Zain Memon.
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