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Home / Courses / The Story of Indian Animation / In Theatres Now

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  • Design Course

    The Story of Indian Animation

    History and Journey so far
    by
    Swati AgarwalandProf. Phani Tetali
    IDC, IIT Bombay
    In Theatres Now
     
    • Printer-friendly version

    Indian Animation Feature Films

    1992 was witness to the first collaboration for a feature film when Yugo Sako, a Japanese filmmaker along with Ram Mohan made ‘Ramayan- The Legend of Prince Rama’. Although the film wasn’t released in India, it was telecasted on Doordarshan and was later acquired by cartoon network after which it got a tremendous response.

    Ever since India has been working with global giants like Disney, Warner Brothers and Sony. However, when a need to build our own identity through IP’s emerged, we turned towards recalling stories from Indian mythology.

    Rama, Krishna, Hanuman, Ganesha, Bheem and Arjun illusionary friends and interwoven ideals living through grandmother tales were re-introduced to the audiences as animated characters.

    ‘Hanuman’ was whole-heartedly accepted into the Indian mainstream industry. Created in 2005 by V.G. Samanth, it created more opportunities for Indian animation also making way for budding animation institute to develop. Following the path paved by ‘Hanuman’, were ‘Krishna’, ‘My Friend Ganesha’ & ‘Ghatotkach’.

    On a different note ‘Roadside Romeo’ and ‘Delhi Safari’ took a step away from the prevalent trend of using mythological characters.

    Although mythical content ran through the veins of Indian animation, filmmakers like Kushal Ruia & Arnab Chaudhary rejuvenated it through films like ‘Sons of Ram’ and ‘Arjun- The Warrior Prince’.
     

    “There are a handful of people who are trying things differently, trying to overcome obstacles and challenges to make the best of the situation and they need to be supported. People need to go to theatres to watch movies, buy the DVDs and spend on merchandise. Once the ecosystem starts feeding itself, more people will invest in animation, more filmmakers will gain experience to create great content and audiences will have something truly wonderful to experience and enjoy.”
    — Kushal Ruia


    Rajiv Chilaka’s ‘Chhota Bheem’ is an apt example of this ecosystem. A down-to-earth Bheem after creating wonders on the small screen continued being cherished on the big screen. Rajiv believes in minimal costs and focusing on the storytelling and character developments. This has worked well for both feature films ‘The Curse of Damyaan’ and ‘The Throne of Bali’ from the Chota Bheem series.

    The domestic animated feature films released around 2012 -'Krishna aur Kans', 'Chhota Bheem', 'Delhi Safari', 'Arjun - the Warrior Prince', 'Sons of Ram' gave a decent performance though did not meet the expectations.

    Paying tribute to Indian artistry & folk traditions ‘Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya’ was released in 2013 by Shilpa Ranade. Accomplishing the challenge of creating exciting content, she has managed to take Indian animation several notches higher. The film is produced by CFSI and Shilpa agrees that funding for such content is hard to come by in India considering the speed at which our animation industry is growing.
    Her husband Soumitra Ranade who has written the screenplay for this films says —
     

    “This belief that all we (in India) need is one big animation film that smashes the box office and then the animation industry will be on its way up, is a trivial thought. It never works that way. After the first Hanuman, people thought, "this is it!" But the bubble burst even before you could spell animation.”


    Here is a chronological list of Indian Animated Feature Films

    1992- Ramayana- The legend of prince Rama
    2000- Pandavas: The Five Warriors
    2005- The Legend of Lord Buddha
    2005- Hanuman
    2006- Krishna
    2006- Kittu
    2007- My Friend Ganesha
    2007- Inimey Nangathan
    2007- Bal Ganesh
    2007- Return of Hanuman
    2008- Ghatothkach
    2008- Dashavatar
    2008- Roadside Romeo
    2008- Cheenti Cheenti Bang Bang
    2008- Jumbo
    2008- My Friend Ganesha 2
    2009- Maruti Mera Dost
    2010- My Friend Ganesha 3
    2010- Ramayana- The Epic
    2010- Luv Kush- The Warrior Twins
    2010- Toonpur Ka Superhero
    2011- Super K- The Movie
    2012- Chhota Bheem & the Curse of Damyaan
    2012- Arjun– The Warrior Prince
    2012- Sons of Ram
    2012- Krishna Aur Kans
    2012- Delhi Safari
    2013- Chhota Bheem & the Throne of Bali
    2013- Mahabharat
    2013- Main Krishna Hoon
    2013- The World of Goopi and Bagha
    2014- Chaar Sahibzaade
    2014- Kochadaiyaan
    2014- Mighty Raju
    2015- Chhota Bheem Himalayan Adventure
    2016- Motu Patlu: King of Kings
    2016- Mahayoddha Rama
    2016- Sarvagunakar Srimanta Sankardeva
    2017- Hanuman Da' Damdaar
    2018- Prabho Shivaji Raja
    2018- Bhai Taru Singh
    2018- Hanuman vs. Mahiravana
    2018- Guru Da Banda
    2018- Chhota Bheem Kung Fu Dhamaka
    2019- Bombay Rose
    2019- Dastaan-E-Miri Piri
    2019- Up Up & Up
    2020- Punyakoti
    2022- Supreme Motherhood: The Journey of Mata Sahib Kaur
    2023- Kundan Satti
    2023- Chhota Bheem and the Return of Dragar
    2024- Luv You Shankar
    2025- 'Ramayana'- The Legend of Prince Rama
    2025- Appu
    2025- Mahavatar Narsimha


    1992

     
    Ramayana- The Legend of Prince Rama
    Directed by Yugo Sako and Ram Mohan
    Produced by Yugo Sako and Krishna Shah

    Ramayana - The Legend of Prince Rama
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramayana:_The_Legend_of_Prince_Rama
    Image source: Ram Mohan

    The film is an anime adaption of the Indian epic Ramayana. It tells the story of Sri Ram combating the wicket Ravana very well displays some spectacular battle scenes, magical weaponry combined with beautiful Indian songs, thereby remaining faithful to Valmiki’s original version.

    Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db9QdjW0ClI

    Inside story:
    The Japanese documentary filmmaker Yugo Sako was interested in animating Ramayana as early as 1984. To have the authenticity in the subject and characters he wanted it to be co-produced with India. Thus he worked in collaboration with Ram Mohan.

    Ramayana being a very sensitive subject didn’t get the permission to be animated by the Government of India. So, it turned out to be a completely Japanese production, though Ram Mohan still remains the co-director and scriptwriter.

    Ram Mohan made many visits to Toyko. He communicated with the Japanese people through his drawings and supervised the team about various Indian gestures and designs on how to make a dhoti.

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      Recognitions and Awards Won:
      • Best Animation Film of the Year at the 2000 Santa Clarita International Film Festival in the    United States.
      • Opening film of the 2000 Lucca Animation Film Festival in Italy.
      • A highlight of the Cardiff Animation Film Festival in the United Kingdom


      2000

       
      Pandavas: The Five Warriors
      Directed by Usha Ganesarajah
      Produced by Pentamedia Graphics

      Pandavas: The Five Warriors
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandavas:_The_Five_Warriors

      This is a very first Indian attempt to make a 3D animated film in India. It depicts the eternal war between the good: the Pandavas and the evil: the Kauravas.

      Recognitions and Awards Won:
      • National Award in the category of Best Feature film in English in 2000.
      • Winner of the Second Best Animated Feature Film Award in Vancouver Effects & Animation Festival, 2001.

      2005

       
      The Legend of Lord Buddha
      Directed by Shamboo Falke
      Produced by Pentamedia Graphics

      The Legend of Lord Buddha
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Buddha

       
      Hanuman
      Directed by V. G. Samanth
      Produced by Percept Picture Company in association with Silvertoons

      Hanuman
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanuman_%282005_film%29

      It was with this film that animation actually set its hands onto the Indian mainstream. Lesson of virtue and devotion had been beautifully layered with mighty adventures and happy colors, melodious songs and wonderful narration and animation.

      The idea of Hanuman stuck to Samanth in around 1998. He studied scriptures for around 2 years. The team of around 160 artists worked on the feature for 2 years and 3 months for a 2-hour film having 2,700 frames, 1,750 colored backgrounds and 2 lakh frames.

      Both children and adults loved the film and the song 'Akdam Bakdam' became a huge hit.

      Recognition and Award won:
      • Star Guild Award for Best Special Effects

      2006

       
      Krishna
      Directed by Aman Khan
      Produced by Shashikant Chheda

      Krishna
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_%282006_film%29

      The year after hanuman was released, children saw the pranks of stealing the butter harassing gopis, breaking the pots and various leela’s of another Indian God, ‘Lord Krishna’. This computer-animated film did a decent attempt to introduce and narrate the details of Krishna to the kids.
       

       
      Kittu
      Directed by B. Sathya
      Produced by Bhargava Kodavanti (Bhargava Pictures)

      Kittu
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kittu
      http://www.idlebrain.com/download/kittu/2kittu1024.html

      Produced under the Bhargava Pictures, Kittu is the first Telugu animated feature film. Kittu, the mischievous monkey is based on a social theme, set in a comic book style.

      Recognition and Award won:
      • National Film Award for Best Animated Telegu Film.

      2007

       
      My Friend Ganesha
      Directed by Rajiv S. Ruia
      Produced by Manish Ruparel, Raman Trikha, Mitesh Mehta, Ronak Bhagat
      (Adlabs Films Ltd)

      My Friend Ganesha
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Friend_Ganesha
      http://movies.sulekha.com/hindi/my-friend-ganesha/pictures/1.htm

      An animated character sharing screen with the live one turned out well by Rajiv Ruia’s ‘My Friend Ganesha’. The film was a decent attempt targeting the kids with it’s storyline of Ganesha befriending a 8 year old boy, thus resolving his problems.

      My friend Ganesha is an in house production by Kofee Break Pictures Ltd involving a team of 16 artists who worked diligently for 6 months.

      Recognition and Awards won:
      • 20th National Award
      • Rajasthan Gaurav Puruskar

       
      Inimey Nangathan
      Directed by Venkybabu
      Produced by S. Sridevi

      Inimey Nangathan
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inimey_Nangathan

      The first Indian 3d animated feature film done completely in the Mayabimbham Multimedia studio of Chennai took 12-15 months to complete. The complete non-mythological plotline, Inimey Nangathan tells about the dangers of greed through the story of four friends who in order to get rich goes on a magical journey in search of a swamiji’s necklace. The film has four songs, composed by Ilaiyaraja.

      Recognition and Awards won:
      • 'SwarnaKamal’ for Best Animated Feature at the 55th National Film Awards, 2007.
      • Best Animation Music Award at the Golden Cursor Animation Awards 2008, initiated by CNBC    TV18 and Arena Multimedia.
      • Tokyo Broadcasting Society, Japan, at Digicon 6+.

      P.S.- The English version of the film was called ‘Desi Pundits’. It was successfully premiered in Pogo and was loved by the kids.

       
      Bal Ganesh
      Directed by Pankaj Sharma
      Produced by Smita Maroo, Pankaj Sharma

      Bal Ganesh
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bal_Ganesh
      http://www.impawards.com/intl/india/2007/bal_ganesh_xlg.html

      Bal Ganesh, a computer animated feature film tells the story of the fun loving Ganesh’s childhood antics perked up with 6-7 foot tapping music and the naughty mooshak (rat).

      The songs were sung by some of the eminent singers like Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar, Shankar Mahadevan, Hariharan and Kailash Kher.

       
      Return of Hanuman
      Directed by Anurag Kashyap
      Produced by Percept Picture Company

      Return of Hanuman
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_of_Hanuman

      This film alienated itself from the mythological subject dealt in ‘Hanuman-2005’. The film has a contemporary modern outlook in which Hanuman descends in a kid avatar to save the planet earth from pollution and global warming.

      The team of Upendra Desai, head of 'Rufflines Animations', did the preproduction in the time period of just 3 months maintaining the earthiness of the whole theme. The characters drew inspiration from our film industry. One can see the duo monkey tossing coins like Jai Veeru, a six pack cool monkey with Shahrukh accent and the one breaking all the laws of physics, sporting goggles like Rajnikanth.

      Production was done at the Toonz studio. A team of 350 dedicated artists worked using the toon boom technology from Canada. Around 25 animators from Philippines were also the part of the production team Kids toys, garments, stationery items were created in a huge number for the purpose of merchandising.

      Hanuman had been responsible for the creation of a market of animation films in India.

      Recognition and Award won:
      • Best animated feature film at the Golden Cursor Animation Awards.
      • Best animated feature film at the FICCI Frames.


      2008

       
      Ghatothkach- Master of Magic
      Directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao
      Produced by Vinod Suryadevara, Smita Maroo

      Ghatothkach- Master of Magic
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghatothkach

      The director of memorable films like ‘Pushpak’, ‘Appu Raja’ and ‘Mayuri’, also known for his innovative children’s film like ‘Son of Alladin’ and ‘Little John’ came up with the idea of fun filled adventurous journey of the magical and fun loving Ghatochkach, (son of Bheema) with his elephant friend, themed around the live action film, Mayabazar of 1957.

      In spite of being inspired by a mythological character like all the plethora of other film like Hanuman, Krishna and BalGanesha, Ghatochkach had a bollywood –style narrative with magic, action, drama, comedy and music.

      The Animation Division at Shemaroo along with Sun animatics at Hyderabad co-produced the film. Around 300 traditional 2d and digital CGI artists worked in collaboration with the studios in six countries- Singapore, Philippines, USA, UK, Canada and India.

      Recognition and Awards won:
      • Screened at the Cannes Film festival
      • Nominated in 4 categories at Golden Cursor Awards, 2009
         Best Animated Feature 
         Best Title Sequence
         Best Lyrics
         Best Music
       

       
      Dashavatar
      Directed by Bhavik Thakore
      Produced by Vimal Shah

      Dashavatar
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashavatar_%28film%29

      Another film came the same year, as that of Ghatothkach was ‘Dashavtar’. The screenplay writer Hriday Lani narrated a challenging subject with a childlike flow. ‘Dashavtar’ presents ten stories about the different incarnations of Lord Vishnu shown in a contemporary style. The film was produced by the Pune based Phoebus Media Creations Pvt. Ltd.. Unlike the previous films like Hanuman and Krishna with a single protaganist, Dashavtar was a challenging one with ten different characters who were given equal importance.

      Anand Bhutkar was responsible for the graphic design of the film, creating the animal based characters like Varaha, Matsya, Narsimha, deciding onto a color theme for the complete film and also making apt use of SFX wherever required.

      The film also has some western and Indian jingles mixed humorous tracks like O Mohini and Raat Suhani mast, sung by Kunal Ganjawala, Shaan and Shreya Goshal.
       

       
      Roadside Romeo
      Directed by Jugal Hansraj
      Produced by Aditya Chopra

      Roadside Romeo
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadside_Romeo

      The director Jugal Hansraj, lover of animated movies got the idea of the film when he was waiting at the traffic signal and saw some stray dogs scratching, yawning, winking at each other and chasing the vehicles, near a garbage pile.

      The first ever mainstream three-dimensional animation venture had around 1400 Shots which were visualized, animated and delivered by a team of 150 member’s of Visual computing Labs (VCL) Tata group’s tech arm Tata Elxsi. The film took two and a half years to complete, 21 months taken by the animation.

      Recognition and Awards won:
      • Cairo International Film Festival for Children - Children's International Special Jury Prize
      • Golden Cursor Animation (GCA) Award in five categories.
      • The Screen Award for Best Animation Film.
      • The 24 FPS Animation Award for the Best Animation Film.
      • The FICCI BAF Award for the Best Animated Feature Film.
      • Screened as part of the Panorama section of the Shanghai fest.
      • National Film Awards, India - Best Animation Film
       

       
      Cheenti Cheenti Bang Bang
      Directed by R. D. Mallik
      Produced by Shri Sunil Bahety, Shri Rajiv Bahety

      Cheenti Cheenti Bang Bang
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheenti_Cheenti_Bang_Bang

      The 80 minutes long 2d animated feature film is based on a Bengali novel-‘Lal Kalo’, a popular fairy tale for children written by ‘Sri Girindra Sekhar Bose’ in 1930. The film revolves around the two rival kingdoms of ants, the red and the black. Each army having some interesting creatures like a frog, a chameleon, a mongoose and also a termite named ‘Ghunn’ who is a mediator.

      Cheenti Cheenti Bang Bang gives the message of universal peace and unity, working on the premise that ‘War never pays off’. The film has six songs sung by shaan, Shreya Ghoshal and a classical Indian by Ustad Rashid Khan.

      The pre- production and production was done at Kolkata based Elecom Toon studio while Fiesta Entertainment of Mumbai handled its postproduction. These both companies had collaborated and formed Elecom Fiesta Entertainment Private Ltd. for producing animation features.
       

       
      Jumbo
      Directed by Kompin Kemgumnird
      Produced by Percept Picture Company

      Jumbo
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumbo_%28film%29

      Jumbo is based on a story by Ariya Jintapanichkarn called ‘Chao Praya Prah Hongsawadee’. The story deals with a baby elephant named jumbo who decides to go in search of his missing father.

      2009

       
      Maruti Mera Dost
      Directed by Manikya Raju
      Produced by Abhimanyu Singh

      Maruti Mera Dost
      https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2058651/
      http://www.in.com/tv/movies/star-gold-hd-243/maruti-mera-dost-4493.html#


      2010

       
      My Friend Ganesha 3
      Directed by Rajiv S. Ruia
      Produced by Ajhia Acharya

      My Friend Ganesha 3
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Friend_Ganesha_3

       

       
      Ramayana The Epic
      Directed by Chetan Desai
      Produced by Ketan Mehta, Deepa Sahi, Niraj Bhukanwala

      Ramayana The Epic
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramayana:_The_Epic

       

       
      Lava Kusa - The Warrior Twins
      Directed by Dhavala Satyam
      Produced by Rayudu V. Shashank
      Studio Rayudu Vision Media Limited(RVML)

      Lava Kusa - The Warrior Twins
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lava_Kusa:_The_Warrior_Twins

       

       
      Toonpur Ka Superhero
      Directed by Kireet Khurana
      Produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak
      Production Company Big Screen Entertainment

      Toonpur Ka Superhero
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toonpur_Ka_Super_Hero


      2012

       
      Arjun – The Warrior Prince
      Directed by Arnab Chaudhuri
      Produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Siddharth Roy Kapur
      Studio UTV Motion Pictures, VCL, Tata Elxsi, 21st Century Show Maker

      Arjun– The Warrior Prince
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arjun:_The_Warrior_Prince

      Arjun, a 3d animated film based on the Indian epic- Mahabharata. The film is a heroic journey of a prince from his childhood to a young warrior who fought for peace and justice.

      A team of around 80 artists took 14 months to complete the film in the Visual computing Labs (VCL), a division of Tata Elxsi Ltd. All the previsualization such as building large scale sets, backdrops and around 120 characters to their animation, rendering, lighting were shaped was done using the 3D software’s, Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max.

      Recognition and Awards won:
      • Officially Selected at 2013 Annecy Film Festival.
      • Nominated for Oscar 2013 in the Category of Best Animated Features.
      • Screened at the historic El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.
      • Selected for Bhusan International Film Festival 2012 (October), Seoul, South Korea.

       
      Chhota Bheem & Curse of Damyaan
      Directed by Rajiv Chilaka
      Produced by Rajiv Chilaka
      Production Company Green Gold Animation

      Chhota Bheem & Curse of Damyaan
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chhota_Bheem_and_the_Curse_of_Damyaan

       

       
      Krishna Aur Kans
      Directed by Vikram Veturi
      Production Company Reliance Entertainment

      Krishna Aur Kans
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Aur_Kans
      http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1837092352/tt2321492?ref_=ttmd_md_pv


       
      Delhi Safari
      Directed by Nikhil Advani
      Produced by Anupama Patil, Kishor Patil
      Studio Krayon Pictures

      Delhi Safari
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delhi_Safari

      Delhi Safari is the first stereoscopic Indian animation. With humour, spoof, drama and wit, the film brings forward the issue of deforestation and wildlife’s habitat protection in very bollywood style.

      Recognition and Awards won:
      • Qualified for the 2012 Oscars.
      • National Film Award, for the Best Animated Film.
      • Screened at Cannes, Annecy film festival American film festival, Goa film festival…
      • Best Feature Film award at FICCI FRAMES 2012
      • 19th Screen Award for the Best Animation Film
       

       
      Sons of Ram
      Directed by Kushal Ruia
      Produced by Amar Chitra Katha
      Studio Krayon Pictures

      Sons of Ram
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_Ram

      Being the famous storytellers from 1967 in the form of comic books, Amar Chitra Katha continues to bring its rich legacy to the digital world. ACK ventures into film production in collaboration with cartoon network to produce ‘Sons of Ram’. Roots of the wonderful story lies in ACK’S bestselling comic book with the same name, ‘Sons of Ram’. It tells the story of the journey of twin brothers Luv and Kush to their roots.

      The entire pre-production was done in ACK, while the ‘Inspidea Animation Studios’ of Malaysia executed its animation. The paintings of Ellora, Miniature and Madhubani paintings were extensively studied to design the complete film. The characters were sculpted before the artist began with its production.

      PS.- Sons of Ram is the first film in India to get converted from 2d to stereoscopic 3D, being done by the Maya digital animation studio. Also it was the first animated film to have the widest release with 400 screens across India.

      Recognition and Award won:
      • Screened at Toronto Animation Arts festival in 2013.


      2013

       
      Chhota Bheem & Throne of Bali
      Directed by Rajiv Chilaka
      Produced by Rajiv Chilaka, Samir Jain
      Studio Green Gold Animation

      Chhota Bheem & Throne of Bali
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chhota_Bheem_and_the_Throne_of_Bali

       

       
      Mahabharat
      Directed by Amaan Khan
      Produced by Kushal Kantilal Gada, Dhaval Jayantilal Gada
      Production Company Pen India Pvt. Ltd

      Mahabharat
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabharat_%282013_film%29

      The film has the faces and voices of some of the famous bollywood stars.
       

       
      Main Krishna Hoon
      Directed by Rajiv S. Ruia
      Produced by Nandan K. Mahto, Promila Hunter
      Studio J.C. Film Vision
      Distributed by Eros International

      Main Krishna Hoon
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Krishna_Hoon

      A film with the mix of both the worlds, live action as well as animation.
       

       
      The World of Goopi and Bagha
      Directed by Shilpa Ranade
      Produced by Soumitra Ranade, Paper Boat Animation Studio

      The World of Goopi and Bagha
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goopi_Gawaiya_Bagha_Bajaiya
      https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3073326/
      Image credits: Shilpa Ranade

      Even before the cinema came, the shadow puppetry ‘Tholu Bommalata’ of Andhra Pradesh occupied an important part of entertainment. In 2013, a similar style with an interesting mix of digital and cut-out animation was seen in Shilpa Ranade’s film ‘The World of Goopi and Bagha’(Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya).

      The 78 minutes musical adventurous film is adapted from Satyajit Ray’s children’s film ‘Gupi Gayen Bagha Bayen’, which was written by Upendrakishore Raychowdhuri with some tweaks into the screenplay: Two goofy musicians, Goopi the singer and Bagha the drummer expelled from their villages due to their out of-tune music, they perform together, meet ghosts, avert war and marry the princesses.

      This debut feature of Shilpa Ranade, is full of vibrant colors, interesting forms, unique textures and patterns, a style entirely different from the ones that emerged on screens after Hanuman in 2005. Inspired by the fabric, the characters and backdrops were created out of computer-generated swatches of textile prints. The well-crafted lyrics and passably produced folk music by the trio, ‘Three brothers and a violin’ adds up to the beautifully visualized film.

      The idea of the film stuck the director while she was working on an illustration book written by Gulzar’shindi translation of Ray’s classic.

      Modestly produced by the Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI), the film was made in the period of two and a half years by a team of just 20 people in a Mumbai based ‘Paperboat studio’.

      Recognition and Awards won:
      • ASIFA award for Best Animated feature film in the professional category 2013
      • Jury prize for best artwork for Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya at 18th ICFFI, Hyderabad, Nov    2013
      • Inaugural Animation award honoree, WIFTS foundation, Los Angeles, Dec- 2013
      • Awarded Orbit Live Animation Industry honor from Arena, ASIFA, - TASI, as Animation Valiant    2013
      • Nominated Best Animated Feature, Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Brisbane Australia, Nov 2013
      • Premiered at Toronto International Film Festival, 2013
      • Screened at the Mumbai Film Festival, 2013
      • Screened at Busan Korea
      • Screened at 10th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF)

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        2014

         
        Chaar Sahibzaade
        Directed by Harry Baweja
        Produced by Pammi Baweja

        Chaar Sahibzaade
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaar_Sahibzaade

        It is a 3D animated film based on the sacrifices of the four sons of tenth Sikh master Guru Gobind Singh- Sahibzaada Ajit Singh, Sahibzaada Jujhar Singh, Sahibzaada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzaada Fateh Singh.

         

        2015

         
        Chhota Bheem Himalayan Adventure
        Directed by Rosauro Adorable
        Produced by Rajiv Chilaka
        Samir Jain
        Writers Rahul Bunkar
        Teja Pratap
        Production company Green Gold Animation

        Chhota Bheem Himalayan Adventure
        https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5212160/

        When Hidimbak attacks manali Bheem has to stop that strong man.

         

        2016

         
        Motu Patlu: King of Kings
        Directed by Suhas D. Kadav
        Produced by Ketan Mehta

        Motu Patlu: King of Kings
        https://www.imdb.com/hi/title/tt6278732/
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motu_Patlu:_King_of_Kings

        Motu and Patlu help Guddu, a circus lion, return to the jungle, which an evil poacher, Narsimha, dominates. The duo teams up with the animals to combat him and restore peace.

         

         
        Mahayoddha Rama
        Directed by Rohit Vaid
        Production
        company
        Contiloe Entertainment

        Mahayoddha Rama
        https://www.imdb.com/hi/title/tt6278732/

        Mahayoddha Rama is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language animated film. The film won the National Film Award for Best Animated Film. Mahayoddha Rama narrates the story of Ramayana from Ravan's perspective.

         

         
        Sarvagunakar Srimanta Sankardeva
        Directed by Manju Borah
        Produced by Sanjive Narain
        Production
        company
        AM Television

        Sarvagunakar Srimanta Sankardeva
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarvagunakar_Srimanta_Sankardeva
        https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26795794/

        This is a story about the life of Assam's Great saint Srimanta Sankardeva. Srimanta Sankardev, the legend of Assamese literature and culture, comes across several challenges in his life. This is the first Assamese-language animated film. 

         

        2017

         
        Hanuman Da' Damdaar
        Directed by Ruchi Narain
        Produced by Ruchi Narain
        Ashutosh Shah
        Taher Shabbir

        Hanuman Da' Damdaar
        https://www.imdb.com/hi/title/tt6941654/

        Anjani has not forgotten how her son almost lost his life. Now to protect him, she shelters him in a bid to keep him from harming himself again. She doesn't even allow him to go out of the house. When his father Senapati Kesari returns from war, he is upset to find that his brave son has become a scared little boy. Maruti feels bad that his father isn't proud of him, and prays to God to make him the 'bravest kid in the world'. God answers his prayers and leads Maruti into a series of jungle adventures. His experiences and new friends lead him to metamorphose from a 'Bhola-Bhala Bajrangi' to - HANUMAN DA' DAMDAAR.

         

        2018
         
        Prabho Shivaji Raja
        Directed by Nilesh Muley
        Produced by Infinity visual & Mefac

        Prabho Shivaji Raja
        https://www.youtube.com/c/PrabhoShivajiRaja

        Prabho Shivaji Raje is an animated historical drama based on the life and times of the legendary Maratha warrior, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja. The film is an ode to the king who through his military genius took on the might of the Moghuls and freed his land from their tyrannical rule of more than 350 years. And yet history remembers him as much for his heroism as it does for his sense of justice and equality of his subjects, irrespective of class or religion.

         

         
        Bhai Taru Singh
        Directed by Sukhwinder Singh Vismaad
        Produced by Sukhwinder Singh Vismaad

        Bhai Taru Singh
        https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8296892/

        A powerful story of faith, love and sacrifice from the annals of Sikh history. Spiritually elevated Bhai, Taru Singh is forced to deal with the tyrannical Mughal empire face on, when he is targeted for being a Sikh.

         

         
        Hanuman vs. Mahiravana
        Directed by Ezhil Vendan
        Produced by Rajiv Chilaka
        Samir Jain
        Srinivas Chilakalapudi
        Production company Green Gold Animation

        Hanuman vs. Mahiravana
        https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8430866/

        The quest to rescue princess Sita is coming to an end as Rama and his army of monkeys make their final push for victory against the demon king Ravana of Lanka. In the ensuing battle, Rama defeats and disarms Ravana but magnanimously spares his life. That night, Ravana unleashes his most powerful ally; his brother Mahiravana, a dark and powerful sorcerer who rules over the Underworld. Mahiravana's shadow casts a blanket of deception over Rama's army and the unseen enemy captures Rama and Lakshmana. Mahiravana intends to kill the two princes at day break to fulfill a prophecy that will make him invincible. Can Rama's friend Hanuman save them before it is too late?

         

         
        Guru Da Banda
        Directed by Jassi Channa
        Produced by Joginder Singh Bhangalia
        Sonu Bhangalia

        Guru Da Banda
        https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9053432/?ref_=mv_close

        The film Guru Da Banda is based on the life of the great warrior of Sikh History, Baba Banda Singh Bahadar. Banda Singh Bahadur established a monastery at Nanded, on the bank of the river Godavari, where, in September 1708, he was visited by and became a disciple of Guru Gobind Singh, who gave him the new name of Banda Singh Bahadur after initiating him into the Khalsa. Armed with the blessing and authority of Guru Gobind Singh, he came to Khanda in Sonipat and assembled a fighting force and led the struggle against the Mughal Empire.

         

         
        Chhota Bheem Kung Fu Dhamaka
        Directed by Rajiv Chilaka
        Binayak Das
        Produced by Rajiv Chilaka
        Samir Jain
        Srinivas Chilakalapudi
        Production company Green Gold Animation

        Chhota Bheem Kung Fu Dhamaka
        https://www.imdb.com/hi/title/tt10288820/?ref_=mv_close

        Stronger than ever, our favourite little superhero Bheem and his friends are visiting the kingdom of China to participate in an annual martial arts competition. But when the country`s princess is kidnapped by an evil part-demon named Zuhu, Bheem decides to go after him and end Zuhu`s reign of terror.

         

        2019

         
        Bombay Rose
        Directed by Gitanjali Rao
        Produced by Anand Mahindra
        Rohit Khattar
        Production company Cinestaan Film Company

        Bombay Rose
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_Rose

        The film follows the story of a flower seller falling in love. It was made by frame-by-frame painted animation in computer and took 18 months with 60 artists.

         

         
        Dastaan-E-Miri Piri
        Directed by Vinod Lanjewar
        Produced by Major Singh Sandhu
        Dilraj Singh Gill
        Navdeep Kaur Gill

        Dastaan-E-Miri Piri
        https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10469048/

        In 1606, after Shri Guru Arjun Dev's sacrifice, Guru Hargobind adorned the two swords of Miri-Piri and started the crusades against the tyranny of Mughals. This was the time when Saint Soldiers pledged their lives for the protection of all the subjugated communities around them. Dastan-e-Miri Piri is a retelling of this glorious era of the Sixth Sikh Guru Shri Guru Hargobind with the unwavering and loyal assistance of Baba Bidhichand, and takes us back to the time when the concept of Miri-Piri first came into being. The 17th century also marked the construction of the Sikh fort "Akaal Tukht" in Amritsar, the first war fought and won by Sikhs, and many other proud accomplishments.

         

         
        Up Up & Up
        Directed by Govind Nihalani
        Produced by Vihaan Dand

        Up Up & Up
        https://www.imdb.com/hi/title/tt10882998/

        Wings or no wings one day I m gonna fly.

         

        2020

         
        Punyakoti
        Directed by Ravishankar Venkateswaran
        Produced by Sindhu SK
        Production company Puppetica Media

        Punyakoti
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punyakoti

        Punyakoti, also released as A Truthful Mother, is a 2020 Indian Sanskrit-language animated film.Punyakoti is based on a Kannada language folksong in Karnataka, whose original source is the eighteenth chapter of Srishtikhand of Padma Purana, about a cow that speaks the truth at all times. The story is set in Karunadu, a village along the banks of Kaveri during the Vedic period.

         

        2022

         
        Supreme Motherhood: The Journey of Mata Sahib Kaur
        Directed by Karandeep Singh
        Produced by Gaurri Sharrma
        Karandeep Singh

        Supreme Motherhood: The Journey of Mata Sahib Kaur
        https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10071606/

        The confusing story of Mata Sahib Kaur Ji, also known as the Mother of the Khalsa. In reality she became a strong female leader of the Khalsa nation in 17th and 18th-century India but this movie has not done a good job in capturing it.

         

        2023

         
        Kundan Satti
        Directed by P. K. Aghasthi
        Produced by S. A. Karthikeyan

        Kundan Satti
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kundan_Satti

        Kundan Satti is set in the village of Koranattu Karuppur near Kumbakonam and follows fifth-grade students as they navigate school, family, and community life. The film highlights themes like perseverance, respect for elders, cultural heritage, traditional foods, and hygiene. It aims to inspire children by promoting positive values and offering a glimpse into rural life in Tamil Nadu.

         

         
        Chhota Bheem and the Return of Dragar
        Directed by Rajiv Chilaka
        Binayak Das
        Produced by Green Gold Animation

        Chhota Bheem and the Return of Dragar
        https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30218867/

        In the country of Valoza, Chhota Bheem and his friends must help defeat the king of darkness, Dragar, while Raju seeks to overcome his fears.

         

        2024

         
        Luv You Shankar
        Directed by Rajiv S. Ruia
        Produced by Sunita Desai
        Tejas Desai

        Luv You Shankar
        https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28094085/

        It tells the story of an eight-year-old boy who develops a special bond with Lord Shiva/Shankar, a Hindu deity. Their connection takes them on an exciting journey of faith, friendship, and self-discovery.

         

        2025
         
        'Ramayana'- The Legend of Prince Rama
        Directed by Koichi Sasaki
        Ram Mohan
        Produced by Yugo Sako

        'Ramayana'- The Legend of Prince Rama
        https://ramayana-anime.net/

        Set in ancient Ayodhya, the story follows Prince Rama, who is exiled to the forest with his wife Sita. When Sita is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana, Rama, with the help of the monkey army and his brother Lakshmana, sets out to rescue her. Hanuman saves Lakshmana’s life with healing herbs, and Rama ultimately defeats Ravana using divine weapons, returning to Ayodhya in victory.

         

         
        Appu
        Directed by Prosenjit Ganguly
        Archisman Kar
        Sanjay Raheja
        Suraj Raheja
        Suresh Raheja
        Ajay Velu
        Produced by Sanjay Raheja
        Suraj Raheja
        Suresh Raheja

        Appu
        https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32020028/?ref_=mv_close

        Elephant calf Appu undertakes perilous journey across ocean and treacherous forest to save father from poachers' grip, aided by loyal dog Tiger and runaway child Neena, uncovering his extraordinary abilities.

         

         
        Mahavatar Narsimha
        Directed by Ashwin Kumar
        Produced by Shilpaa Dhawan
        Kushal Desai
        Chaitanya Desai
        Production company Kleem Productions

        Mahavatar Narsimha
        https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34365591/

        The demon Hiranyakashyap seeks revenge on Vishnu and declares himself a god. His son Prahlad remains devoted to Vishnu. Vishnu manifests as Narsimha to defeat the demon and restore balance.

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