In a bid to fill the void created by the absence of original content in the Indian animation industry, Pune-based visual effects and animation studio Toolbox Animation Studio Pvt Ltd has decided to animate a popular comic strip character, Chintoo. It has been running in Marathi newspapers for 20 years and is popular in Karnataka also. Creators Charuhas Pandit and Prabhakar Wadekar have given the necessary approvals to Toolbox Animation.
In India, animation chracters are chosen primarily from mythology. They are limited by their cultural contexts. So, the superhero concept does not work here. Toolbox founder Chetan Deshmuk wants to cash in on this gap by animating Chintoo.
Toolbox is a visual effects house and animation studio that has been working with the motion picture, animation and interactive industries. It was founded in 2005 by Deshmukh, a special effect artist whose credit list includes Hollywood blockbusters like Chicago, Daredevil, The Last Samurai, Torque, Timeline, Final Destination 2, Cradle 2 the Grave and Shanghai Knights. Toolbox also provides visual effects for Marathi and Bollywood ventures. Fox Star Studio India?s Hindi film Vroom is its latest project.
Deshmukh said he would like to shape the character as a brand. He hopes that people will relate and react to it as it has an universal appeal. Toolbox is talking to TV channels and has sounded out mobile operators (Idea, Airtel and Vodafone) for this property. Deshmukh has selected 3,500 strips than can be animated and broadcast as daily clips. These will be 30 to-45 second animated clips, a new concept for television channels in India.
Deshmukh is hoping to ink pacts with TV channels by June this year. Initially, the production will be in Marathi and Kannada to be followed by English and Marathi. The plans are to make 30-minute series for TV and ultimately, a feature film.