They are a part of every child?s growing up years. Think Jungle Book, which celebrated 40 years of its existence two months ago by releasing the animated classic, based on Rudyard Kipling?s tale, on DVD, Walt Disney?s Mickey and the gang series, The Lion King, Finding Nemo to name just a handful. The Indian film industry, the largest in the world, is yet to take the leap on animation for various reasons. Barring Hanuman, which was released in 2005 by Percept Picture and Sahara One, a string of others have been riddled by quality issues and poor marketing. But that may be changing. At least a dozen and more animation films are in the works, with big production houses claiming that in two-three years the Indian film industry will have its own repertoire of such films.
?Animation as a genre is very new in India,? says Preet Bedi, CEO, Percept Picture, which is set to release the sequel of Hanuman, Hanuman Returns, on December 28. ?We have to find the right concept so that it clicks with the mainstream masses,? points out Bedi. ?We have to connect with the people, so the Walt Disney, Mickey Mouse type isn?t likely to work.?
As it turns out, many production houses, including UTV Motion Pictures, Adlabs Films, Yash Raj Films (in a tie-up with Walt Disney), Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC), Eros International, Percept Picture are all in the midst of finding the ?right concept?. They are working out the right mix so that animation films work for the masses and at the box-office. So, three animation films are in the works at UTV, in various stages of production, another three/four at Percept, two at Adlabs, five at PNC and so forth.
For the sequel of Hanuman, Percept and director Anurag Kashyap chose to opt for a contemporary set up. So, though there?s Hanuman, Vishnu, Narad, Brahma, there are also ?people like you and me?. Bedi hopes this eclectic cast will get people excited. Not leaving any stone unturned, Percept is also giving it an unprecedented marketing push.
?No animation film is complete without a 360 degree approach to marketing. So, we have tied up with Big Bazaar and Pantaloons for merchandising, Jump Games for three games and even jewellery brand Damas,? he adds. UTV is all excited about The Dream Blanket, directed by Simi Nalhaseth, one of the animators in Ice Age. Says Alpana Mishra, senior VP, UTV Motion Pictures Production: ?We are looking for original stories. The Dream Blanket is set for a 2010 release.? Dipping into mythology and classic tales, it?s also making Arjun, the making of a warrior, and a retelling of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, set for a 2009 release.
?The time period for making an animation film is much longer. We need a lot of commitment and persistence. Typically, an animation film needs a lot of pre and post-production work,? says Mishra.
But if UTV and Percept ? the next Hanuman is slated for a 2009 release ? are looking for stories from mythology and original content, PNC is remaking three classic films in animation version.
It is working on Shakti Samanta?s famous action thriller Howrah Bridge, and featuring two of the most successful songs in Hindi film history, including Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo, composed by O P Nayyar. The original film, shot in black and white in 1958, also starred Helen in one of her most famous cabaret numbers.
Florida-based Motion Pixel Corporation, which is already partnering PNC on five animation film projects, will do the animation work. Following Howrah Bridge, PNC has also acquired the rights to make animation versions of two other Shakti Samanta films ? Amar Prem and Barsaat Ki Ek Raat. ?This is our way of reviving some of the grand old classics of Indian cinema and introducing them to the new generation of movie goers,? says Pritish Nandy, chairman, PNC. Also in the works is an animated version of Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena, which will be called EKEH 2.0.
UTV?s The Dream Blanket is a medium-to-big budget film and all the players agree that budgets are a reason for Indian animation films suffering on quality. ?People are making these films in various budgets,? says Mishra, ?and when something is early on in its life-cycle, there are bound to be quality issues. We need to work on the technology and skills.? But both Mishra and Bedi insist that though the Indian animation film industry has to take that leap, a lot more is happening in this space than even two years ago.
Getting a whiff of an opportunity, Eros International, a leading media and entertainment company, recently set up a state-of-the-art visual effects studio, EyeQube. It has already announced that Sujoy Ghosh?s modern-day Aladdin, the favourite Arabian Nights story in a big Bollywood format, has gone on floors. Eros is already looking to scale broader entertainment opportunities in the digital space and in animation.
As Mishra puts it: ?The time for animationis now.?
