Why clay animation? After the completion of the film, the sequences where animation was to be used were planned. They were mostly dream sequences, where the boy is lost in his own world of fantasy. There are many transitions from one fantasy to the other. Aamir did not want to use human characters in the animation. He wanted elements from nature - fish, animals, birds, plants, flowers and so on. Various kinds of samples were created and he liked the clay animation. There is a certain tactile quality to this technique. As children play with plasticine or modelling clay, it became more of an obvious choice. There is an organic feel to the medium, which is not achievable through computer-generated animation. Clay is something that everyone can relate to easily.
Dhimant visualized the entire sequence. He first presented a couple of concepts to Aamir, which were discussed and then finalized. Within the deadline of a month and a half, the entire animation, from concept to modeling to execution and compositing, had to be made ready. Storyboards were made. There were three other model makers working with Dhimant.
The animation in the film doesn’t come across as ‘amateurish’ at any point. Animation is part of the protagonist child’s imagination. The elements are bright and colorful, just the way a child’s world is, and it flows smoothly into the story. It is not animation just for the sake of animating something. There is a purpose and that is to carry the story forward. It is a subtle way of giving the audiences a glimpse into the child’s inner world and the animation captures that perfectly.
Read More">Taare Zameen Par was probably one of the best films of 2007. Aamir’s directorial debut came with bright and vibrant colors and a unique method of animation in Bollywood. TZP crossed all levels of expectations; the film was distinctive in each and every way. Most of you who saw the film will remember the clayRead More
Taare Zameen Par was probably one of the best films of 2007. Aamir’s directorial debut came with bright and vibrant colors and a unique method of animation in Bollywood. TZP crossed all levels of expectations; the film was distinctive in each and every way. Most of you who saw the film will remember the clay animation used for the opening credits of the film. Dhimant Vyas is the man who added that extra oomph to the film with his clay animation. He had earlier created the caricatures for the Lagaan DVD; hence, Aamir approached Vyas to create animation for TZP.
Dhimant Vyas is the first animator to use Clay animation in a Bollywood live-action feature film. It is a craft with a human touch. It tugs at the audience’s heartstrings. It works well with the main film as the scenes depict Ishaan, the main protagonist’s imagination hence the transitions have smooth scenes and convey the dream-like quality. Transitions like morphs, camera moves, elements appearing and disappearing, and one element dragging one to anther scene is used so there is not cut till the end.
There is some cel animation and CG animation as well in the movie. Vaibhav Kumaresh’s Vaibhav studios handled the 2D animation while Tata Elxsi worked on the CG animation as well as the visual effects and compositing, besides putting credits on the sequence and adding some effects in the clay animation sequence. The three teams were working simultaneously but in isolation from each other. Aamir and his production team were the contact points.