Can Hanuman create an opening for more animated films in India?

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Can Hanuman create an opening for more animated films in India?

By IndiaFM News Bureau, October 18, 2005 - 23:42 IST

Sahara India Mass Communication and Percept India in association with Silvertoons is all set to release their animated mythological flick Hanuman. The film is about the astonishing journey of this mythical superhero from his days as naughty but blessed baby, to his eventual triumph in the army of Lord Shri Ram. The film is about 100 minutes in length and has over 40 individual characters. It has been recorded officially as India's first indigenous animation film in the Limca Book of Records' 2004 edition.

Let's hope this film initializes the animation film industry in India. The animation industry in India has never really taken off. With a lot of talent and technological competence, success in this genre is yet to be seen.

ZEE Telefilm's 'Bhaggmati - The Queen of Fortunes' released just last month. This two and a half hour movie included over 60 minutes of animation with a live action cast featuring Milind Soman, Tabu & Hema Malini. The animation for Bhaggmati was done entirely at Zee Institute of Creative Arts (ZICA) with about 250 artists. The film got really bad reviews and proved a disaster for the producers. Incidentally ZICA has worked with European animation channels like Mondo and Mallard.

But if you thought that was the only animation that India has indulged into, think again! Not many might be aware that a low publicity film titled 'The Legend of Buddha' produced by Percept was released selectively in some Indian metro theatres last September. Incidentally this film was India's entry to the Oscars in the animated film category this year.

Pentafour Graphics, based in Chennai, has gone more for full-length features. It created India's first computer animated feature film, Sindbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists, and one of the first 3D animation films in the world. They followed it up with Alibaba, and the recent Son of Alladin. The latter was directed by renowned South Indian filmmaker Srinivasa Rao Singeetham who has to his credit Kamal Hassan movies like Appu Raja, Pushpak and Mumbai Xpress that released earlier this year.

The Japanese filmmaker Yugo Sako came up with an animated version of the great Indian mythological epic Ramayana in 1992 by the name 'Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama' which got a luke warm response in India.

A lot of foreign companies are coming to India for outsourcing for their films mainly because of cheap labor costs, good talent and presence of technologically sound studios. A foreign production house can save as much as 60% of their budget if their film is made in India. To produce a 30 minute animated film in the U.S. it costs approximately $25,000 to $40,000 whereas in India it can be done for as less as $6000.

The latest news making the rounds is that Bangalore's largest property development company Ittina is venturing into Animation with a state of the art Animation Studio 'Ittina Animation'. Leading from the front will be Manu Ittina who has worked in Hollywood animated movies such as Shrek 2 and Madagascar. They are setting up an animation academy as well called 'Takshaa' which will provide a number of animation related courses.

Coming back to Hindi films, quite a lot of films have included 2D or 3D animation during the course of the movie. Not in entirety but the animation characters did have some screen footage in the film. The most popular amongst them include the adorable cartoons of Hum and Tum that flashed onscreen every now and then in the Hum Tum. Shaadi Ka Laddoo had an entire item song picturized with Negar Khan gyrating around funny caricatures ogling at her. Other films using the animation art include Raju Chacha, Abhay, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon and Karam.

When the Hindi version of the animated film The Incredibles (Hum Hain Laajawab) was released a lot of hype was created on the fact that it had Shah Rukh Khan dubbing for the role of Mr. Incredible as well as his son for the role of Dash. Still the film could not salvage a decent opening.

An animated film which has been delayed is Friends Forever which features India's first 3D animated hero Zampano. This film is directed by Soumitra Ranade who earlier made Jajantaram Mamantaram, a film filled with special effects. Synova, a Bangalore-based creative technology company, has created this character and has put in over 10,000 working hours to create the character. Hope this Hrishitaa Bhatt - Ashmit Patel starrer sees the light of day.

As of now Sahara One Motion Pictures and Percept Picture Company have planned a big amount of marketing and media for Hanuman releasing this Friday. A lot of promotion and strategizing is being done to endorse this movie. One hopes for the best that Hanuman creates a new opening for animated films in India.