After Hanuman, more animation films, like Kittu, on the anvil

A slew of Indian animation films aimed at children will hit the marqee this year.

PRAVEENA SHIVRAM

15 March 2006
MUMBAI, INDIA

After the stupendous success of Hanuman, the animated series, Indian filmmakers are gung-ho about the concept and scope of animation films in the country. Especially down south, as three films are already in the pipeline.

Kittu, touted to be the first animated film in Telugu is slated for release this April. Bhargav, the producer of the film, said in an earlier interview, "Our motto has always been to promote Indian culture and heritage through cinema. Kittu too does the same. Though animated films take time and need more man power, we have invested in this medium because it's the global trend right now. We plan to reach the international market too."

Bhargav's film made out of a whopping budget of 6 crores, traces the adventures of a monkey called Kittu. "I wanted to tell a human interest story through animals. After releasing Kittu in Telugu, we will dub the film in other languages as well," he adds.

Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, one of the renowned filmmakers in Tollywood, is all set to direct Mayabazaar, an animated version of the mythological character Ghatotkacha. Optimistic about this burgeoning trend of animation films, he says, "In recent times, there have been a lot of animated films, both in India and the West, that have all been successful ventures. The time now is right to invest in more animated films, not just in Telugu, but in other regional languages as well."

For this veteran in the industry, the genre of animation films is not new, as his earlier film, Son of Alladin, enjoyed success and critical acclaim. Talking about his forthcoming project, Mayabazaar, he says, "Any film, in any format, will be accepted only if the story is good. But, I did sign up for a six-month course just to update myself with the latest technology." Bhargav too did his homework before taking up the task of completing Kittu, which took him almost two years. He says, "I am not worried about the success or failure of this film, as I am interested in this genre, and will continue making animated films, irrespective of the results."

As both Kittu and Mayabazaar deal with Indian themes, it is probably got to simply do with the recall value of the stories among children. Explaining this, Singeetam says, "Everyone in our country is familiar with the stories in the Puranas. There have been many successful mythological films in almost all Indian languages. Somehow, this is one theme that never fails to touch a chord in our hearts."

In Tamil Nadu, Soundarya Rajnikanth announced the making of her own animation film venture. As part of their studio Ocher in Chennai, Soundarya recently announced that she will be producing an animated film, with her own father Rajnikanth in the lead, in association with Adlabs Films, which is controlled by Anil Ambani. She said, "It's a privilege to work with my father, and I consider this a dedication for his contribution to Indian cinema." The film is estimated at Rs 10 to 12 crores and would take around 18 months to complete. Soundarya is the creative director of the project, and the film is said to release in English and Hindi. Even as the 'reel' life Rajnikanth continues to rule the market, his daughter hopes that this film too will enjoy similar success, and says that it is exclusively targeted for children, even as they remain tight-lipped about the story.

No guess as to why these films are appealing to children – the cartoon-like figures, the colors and verve that they exude are certainly crowd-pullers. Filmmakers hope that this trend will continue as they firmly believe in its beneficial quality for children.