Toon Tales

Mehta’s isn’t the only animation film in the pipeline in Bollywood. While Lav-Kusa,the 2D animation film about Lord Rama’s two sons,which is a Rs 25 crore production of Hyderabad-based RVML Studio,released last Friday,there are a handful of animation releases lined up for release next year. Filmmaker Kireet Khurana’s Toonpur Ka Superhero with voice-overs by Ajay Devgn and Kajol is scheduled for a December release. Even Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions has already begun work on their first animated project,Koochie Koochie Hota Hai,a take-off on Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Yash Raj Films is planning another untitled animation after Roadside Romeo. Producer Firoz Nadiadwala has animated versions of his hits Hera Pheri and Phir Hera Pheri in the pipeline.

Veteran director Govind Nihalani’s animation film Kamlu,on the adventures of a baby camel and his friends,will mark the director’s foray into the animation genre. It will release in summer next year. “I have always been fascinated by graphic novels and wanted to do something in that sphere. Now it’s become easier to do so,” explains Nihalani,who took four years to complete the film,due to technical overlays.

Most filmmakers feel the market was not conducive so far to make animated films since the technological support was never in place. “Although we were the support teams for many international animation projects,we were executing on pre-designed story boards. There was hardly any creative inputs from our teams,” says Nihalani,who used 80-100 animators from India for his project.

So far animation films in India have only covered mythology — films like Hanuman and Ghatothkach: Master of Magic. For an emerging market,there is nothing wrong in that,argue filmmakers. “Choosing stories that have a recall value is wiser,since that attracts the audience to a new medium,” says filmmaker Soumitra Ranade,who made his semi-animated Jajantaram Mamantaram (2003) based on Gulliver’s Travels. He is now filming his fully animated 3D project,Ali Baba and the 41 Thieves,inspired from the popular children’s classic,with voice-overs by John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra. “I have called it 41 thieves because there is a contemporary twist to it. The visual treatment locates it in an imaginary Arabia,” he continues.

The growth of the industry though,lies in moving away from known mythological subjects to universal themes. “Otherwise,they have a limited viability abroad,” says Smita Maroo,VP,Animation,Shemaroo,which in the past has produced four animated features,including Bal Ganesha. She is currently co-producing a fictional animation film Super K,about a kid with extraordinary powers. “I have already sold the distribution rights in 30 countries,” she adds.