Bengaluru big on GoT tributes

The wildly popular web series Game of Thrones has just concluded after a nine-year run. It was received well in Bengaluru, going by the sale of books and merchandise, and the creation of tribute cocktails

The final episode of the hit web series Game of Thrones (GOT) was aired Monday, and fans across the globe are talking animatedly about the ending.

Running since 2011, the American fantasy drama was telecast by HBO and created by David Benioff and D B Weiss. Its story is based on the novel series ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ by George R R Martin.

The popularity of the series was such that it inspired a wide array of merchandise, besides food and drink menus and theme parties and weddings.

Reading up

Book stores stocked up as they saw sales go up before each season. It took at least a year for the producers to make a season’s episodes. In the breaks, fans read Martin’s

Lannister’s Cup served at
XOOX Brewmill.

books and discussed theories about how things would unfold.

Krishna, manager of Bookwork on Church Street, says the first book in the series, A Song of Ice and Fire, has been a bestseller since 2011. “People who found the first book interesting came back to grab the next. This was about 70 per cent of all buyers,” he says.

Krishna sold about 500 GoT books a month. The number shot up to 4,500 copies in the month a season opened.

“The price for a copy went up from Rs 299 to Rs 550. Now, it’s Rs 599 a book,” he says. The entire set of seven books costs Rs 4,250.

“The only book that received pre-booking from 75 people was The Dance with the Dragons,” says Krishna.

The craze also led to the publication of graphic novels — a set with four books is available at offline and online stores.

When Bookworm was part of Comic Con two years ago, their stall followed a Game of Thrones theme.

Mukund, manager at Blossom Book House, says many fans are not aware the series is based on a book.

Collect and keep

Even those who don’t read are aware of GOT collectibles. Entertainment Store on Church Street stores all kinds of goodies for fans.

Vani, operational manager, told Metrolife customers have been asking for GoT T-shirts, figurines, accessories and badges ever since the store opened in 2013.

“The most sold characters are Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister which cost Rs 1,100 each,” she says.

The sale of books has gone up since
the series began in 2011.

There is also a customer base for characters such as Iron Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark. The set comes for Rs 3,000.

“We’ve had fans requesting us to make steel replicas of the swords of Jon Snow and Arya Stark. They also want the badge of ‘Hand of the King’. We’ve had requests for fur coats that the lords and ladies wore on the show,” she says.

Episodic drinks

Alcohol was a big part of the show — there would always be some character drinking wine.

Johnnie Walker introduced ‘White Walker’, a limited edition Scotch Whisky, inspired by the enigmatic GoT characters of the White Walkers.

The Scotch has notes of caramelised sugar and vanilla, fresh red berries and a touch of orchard fruit and features Single Malts from Cardhu and Clynelish, according to the brand.

Some pubs and bars also made drinks named after popular characters and episodes. XOOX Brewmill in Koramangala made a drink called ‘The Red Wedding’ inspired by a powerful, heart-wrenching episode. It was their version of gin and tonic which included Campari, red wine reduction, grapes and apple juice. Also representing the richest family on the show, The Lannisters, the brewhouse made a royal drink in a golden cup, infusing rum with paan and loading it with aromatic spices.

Outlets of Social across the city created cocktails that caught on.

Ranveer Sabhani, business head of Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality, says, “We made six cocktails for our favourite characters, with each mix representing their character. Customers would buy the drink named after their favourite character.” He describes it as a ‘marketing gimmick’ that helped the chain engage with fans on social media.

It has been less than two months since Burger Seigneur in Indiranagar was launched, and Cold Brew is their most ordered drink.

Naufal, partner, explains, “It’s fermented coffee kept overnight and flavoured with watermelon or coconut in the morning. Yes, it’s a bit of an off combination but the watermelon is the most ordered item.”

Fashion forward

Online retail stores like Myntra, Amazon, Flipkart have graphic T-shirts, mugs, and posters.

GoT it?

Telecast from April 17, 2011 to May 19, 2019.

73 episodes. Eight seasons.

Shot at Belfast, Northern Ireland, Canada, Croatia, Iceland, Malta, Morocco, Scotland, Spain, and the United States.

The Mad Queen drinks at Social is inspired by the character Cersei.

Biggest hit in recent times for HBO

What’s it about

Game of Thrones has three major story arcs. It is set in a fictional kingdom in a continent called Westeros and portrays the violent power struggles involving many noble families. It is praised for its ‘medieval realism’: although it is set in a period characterised by sorcery and magic, it banks on intrigue and action that reflect the contemporary world.

End of an era

Critics have praised the show for its writing, characters, story, scope and production values.

After the first season, it received flak for excessive nudity and violence, and the producers took note and cut down on them in subsequent seasons.

Game of Thrones received a series of awards. Many fans were disappointed with the way the final season turned out, and started an online petition seeking a
re-shoot. The producers said nothing doing.