Ram Mohan Archives | Animad World!

December 5, 2021December 5, 2021

CHP 11: Indian Animators And The Missing Link

CHAPTER 11

THE MISSING LINK

AND WHY DO WE STRUGGLE?

“It is hard to separate the art from the artist.”

― JUICE WRLD

the missing link — Pic Courtesy: Wikipedia

You were captivated by the surrealism of Spirited away; you felt emotionally moved and inspired by the touching journey of a little rat in Ratatouille. You witnessed a jaw-dropping new atmosphere in the first-ever three-dimensional toy story movie, and most of us surely grew up watching the adventure, romance, and magic of Disney’s fairytales and Hanna Barabara’s fun and adventurous acts in the nineties.

Undoubtedly, the industry is blessed with many such highly creative movies, shows, and memorable characters that we all cherish and love.

Indian Animators — Pic Courtesy: Wikipedia

And when it comes to Indian animated films. The one movie that will instantly appear in your mind is the highly appealing epic mythology of Baby Hanuman, which was released in 2005 and directed by one of the pioneers of Indian Animation, none other than V.G Samant.

And that was, in a way, the dawn of commercial full-length animated feature films in India, and its success and popularity paved the way for many bold filmmakers to try their hands on this medium.

As a result, within a short period, we saw the release of movies such as Roadside Romeo, Delhi Safari, and many more that failed to repeat the magic and impression that Baby Hanuman left on people’s minds.

And soon, we noticed the deterioration in the reputation of Indian animated films at the box office.

But what was the reason behind it, why Disney, Pixar, and Ghibli continue to perplex the audiences after so many years, and Indian commercial movies suffered a decline in their revenues at the silver screen?

Well, the instant reply could be that the stories in Indian films weren’t captivating enough, the quality wasn’t up to the level, or it was challenging to resonate with the characters in those films.

But it is crucial to understand that those factors are secondary because before we can witness a great art, what comes into the picture is the artist.

Yes, one vital point that binds all the artistic masterpieces together is the artists working behind them, and more importantly, the artist leading them.

Similarly, let’s take any of the classic motion pictures filled with the illusion of life. You will see legendary names such as Hayao Miyazaki, Brad Bird, John Lasseter, Genndy Tarkovsky, and of course, Walt Disney himself.

They were the creators, minds, and souls behind many iconic and endlessly imaginative movies and shows that helped art reach its honorable place today.

And if you delve more profoundly into it, you will see that one common trait all these creators possess is that they all are “Animators.”

Yes, although Indian producers saw the financial capabilities of animated films, they failed to acknowledge an ancient Indian proverb that says, “The work suits in the hands of the one skilled to do it.”

And suppose you look at the credits of many unsuccessful Indian movies and series. In that case, you will notice that they were often directed, produced, and managed by people who are not into Animation or understand the art the way an Animator would generally do.

I am not stating that a non-animator can’t direct animated films or lead the team of artists, sure they can, and there are exemptions.

But what I am emphasizing is that these films need a specialized technique and strict attention to detail as their core characteristics separate them from the live-action movies, which a non-animator could inadvertently miss.

So being aware of the creative and technical aspects of animation film gives an animation artist a considerable advantage to push the boundaries of conventional craft and effortlessly focus on the soul of the story to strike a delicate balance between fantasy and reality.

So it’s imperative to understand this very fundamental aspect of this illusional art and offer the artists the needed liberty and opportunity to bring their vision on the screen as they are the ones who can get the necessary momentum into this industry.

And that’s just not limited to the process of directing the movies. It should be mandatory for the writing producers operating for the television broadcasters and business heads to have good technical and creative working experience of Animation in their portfolios.

So that they will be able to match the artistic vision of the animation directors, creators, and writers working at the studio level and connect the missing link to help achieve the respect we are striving for in the eyes of our viewers.

But that looks like a long road to travel as animators in our country don’t get the recognition they rightfully deserve and are treated as a labor force than a creative one.

People often forget to discuss their contributions even though they are the ones who put life in a character. An animator in a movie is as important as the actors in live-action films, they are the unsung heroes, and without them, there won’t be the art of animation.

But the problem goes way beyond the recognition. Like so many other factors like long working hours, minimum wages, and mistreatment restrict our artists from expressing themselves freely and contributing to their full potential, unlike artists in the west and Japan who enjoy the perks of creative freedom to improvise their work.

So before we bring the change towards the art, it’s essential to look up to our artists for the longevity and success of this medium.

The time has come that we start to recognize the artistic talent our Animators possess and show faith in their ability to deliver the stories that not only entertain the audiences but leave an everlasting impression that becomes a core part of our memories.

Just a little appreciation and love for our artist can go a long way, and you never know that we might end up finding the next Walt Disney or Gendy Tartakovsky of India.

thebestanimators — (From Left: John Lasseter, Hayao Miyazaki, Walt Disney, Genndy Tartakovsky, Brad Bird)

(Imp Note: This is one of the reasons behind the struggles of Indian Animation. In my blog series, “The Faults In Our Art! We will explore ten major factors that are keeping Indian animation behind. So I request you to please support my initiative by subscribing to my website by filling the form below)

March 7, 2021October 5, 2022

CHAPTER 03 RAMAYANA: THE LEGEND OF PRINCE RAMA AND THE BATTLE TO RELEASE IT

“Anyone can tell a story because Ramayana is a plot-oriented tale, but the key to Sako is that he finds humanity in his characters.” ― Krishna Shah, Co-Director, Ramayana

Anybody who grew up in the ’90s will recognize the animated film Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama, which was made as a part of the 40th anniversary of the India-Japan diplomatic relationship. This mythological tale was recreated and Directed by Yugo Sako along with legendary Indian Animator Ram Mohan.

The Hindi version featured dubbing voices of many big stars, including Arun Govil as the voice of Rama, Legendary Amris Puri as the voice Ravana and powerfully narrated by Shatrughan Sinha, added the interest in the audiences.

And after its release, it left a tremendous impact on a generation who already had a set perception about this sacred text through one of the most popular television shows in the history of the Indian entertainment industry that aired on Doordarshan.

And miraculously, the anime managed to create its own identity with its fusion of U.S., Indian, and Japanese style animation, brilliant screenplay, impeccable characterization, design, camera angles, and, more importantly, by staying respectful towards its cultural significance in the Indian civilization that managed to capture the attention of both kids and the adults.

But just like the actual tale of Ramayana, the movie also fought an epic battle for its existence and survival to reach its viewers. Yes, the creator of the film has to overcome various forces, to turn this religious work of stunning antiquity into an animated movie. So let’s have a brief look at Yugo Sako’s journey into the sacred world of Indian mythicism and his sincere efforts to make this animated retelling of an iconic story.

It all began when Yugo Sako was working on “The Ramayana Relics,” a documentary in 1983; he was so highly enticed into its spiritual theme that he researched more in-depth into the subject and went on to study 10 versions of Ramayana in Japanese. After extensively researching the epic mythology, he aspired to adapt it into animation. Because he didn’t think a live-action movie could depict the true essence of Ramayana, “Because Ram is God, I felt it was best to depict him in animation, rather than by an actor.” Said Yugo in an interview.

And that’s when the struggle began.

A leading newspaper misunderstood Yugo Sako’s documentary and wrote that he was altering the Ramayana. Soon after that, a protest letter based on the misinterpretation from the Vishva Hindu Parishad was received by the Japanese Embassy in India’s capital. Which said that no foreigners could arbitrarily cinematize Ramayana because it was the great national heritage of India.

After the misconceptions were clarified, Yugo Sako suggested the idea of an animated Ramayana to the VHP and the Government. He told them that animation was an earnest art form in Japan, and it would help bring the Ramayana to a broader global audience.

The Government agreed initially but later declined his proposal for a bi-nation collaboration, saying the Ramayana is a very sensitive subject and cannot be portrayed as a cartoon. Also, the fact that the movie was being made at the height of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement added to the controversy and axed the prospects of producing it in India.

With no choice and support left, The movie was ultimately produced in Japan, with nearly 450 artists from both the nation contributing to its creation. Indian animators guided their Japanese teammates with Indian customs and traditions depicted in the film, like how dhotis are worn and how the children receive blessings from their elders.

Now when the production process was sorted, the quest was to take it to a global audience. After eight months of negotiation, Yugo finally convinced a big Hollywood studio to release it to U.S. audiences.

But next came the tricky part: The studio wanted to alter the storyline, sending Ram and Sita into the forest for their honeymoon and substituting the entire myth of fourteen-year exile or Sita’s abduction. They wanted to turn it into a straight adventure concept despite it being a perfect plot in all sense. The producers and Yugo disagreed with it and parted away with the studio as it was clearly against their sensitivity, which eventually prevented it from gaining a wider release.

This whole saga is such a great example of choosing art over commerce. Sako precisely understood the sentiments attached to it and devoted a decade of his life to bringing this eternal mythology on the big screen. Sako believes his exposure to India has taught him to see the larger picture rather than worry about short-term goals. In an interview, he said, “If I pass away, then this work can be done by others, and if I die, I can be reborn and continue the work.”

So the current generation of artists needs to learn from Yugo Sako’s work ethics and should not easily bow down to the demands of commercialism. The passion portrayed by him is something that needs to be embraced by each one of us that will eventually reflect into our movies and shows and will assist us in doing better artistic work.

The biggest lesson for Indian animators here is to learn the importance of patience to do justice with our art, especially when dealing with such divine subjects. In India, we often see that we really underestimate the importance of detailed research and are more focused on delivering the half-hearted output that eventually gets the half-hearted response from the audiences. This approach of quantity over quality has been a big hurdle on the path of our animation that needs to address as soon as possible.

Sako taught us that in our pursuit of purpose and goals, just like Prince Rama and Mighty Hanuman, we will face the demons, but it’s essential not to compromise with our morals and ethics and continue to walk towards the bigger vision we have. Indeed, it is such a kind of dedication from an artist that influences a generation to come. It is such a kind of commitment that helps to overcome obstacles and hurdles in the creation process, and it is such kind of devotion that makes the art and the artist immortal, just like the real “Ramayana.”

Do make sure to read other articles in this series by clicking on the link: The Faults in our Arts!

February 19, 2021November 18, 2021

CHP ONE: THE HISTORY OF INDIAN ANIMATION

“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”

― WALT DISNEY.

Before we witnessed the spectacular visual effects of Bahubali before children got hooked on tv sets to watch Chhota Bheem, and even centuries before the dawn of animated films and motion cinema came into existence. Indians have figured out to enjoy the art of storytelling through an ingenious technology of projecting animated pictures on the silver screen called Tholu bommalata.

It is the traditional art of shadow puppetry that originated in the state of Andra Pradesh that enabled people to bring a hundred or more colorful mythological characters to life in the most remote village, all accompanied by virtuoso singing, engaging rhythms, and enchanting sound effects.

Then around the 19th century, during the British era, a Mumbai-based engineer Maadanrao Madhavrao Chitale, painted some events from the life of Srikrishna on slides and showed them to audiences for fun with the help of an invention called Magic Lantern that gave the impression of moving pictures. Fascinated by this new form of illusion, the father and son duo of Mahadev Patwardhan and Vinayak Mahadev Patwardhan saw a business opportunity in it. And took their show to the live audiences with the name Shambarik Kharolika.

And as time progressed, we saw the birth of technological marvels that revolutionized the art of storytelling, the motion picture camera invented by the Lumiere Brothers. This wonder machine opened the floodgates to many storytellers, and we were submerged into the depth of its potentialities.

And soon, the world witnessed its first-ever animated film created by Émile Cohl, who shot thousands of his own drawings. The film mainly consists of a stick man moving about and encountering all manner of morphing objects, such as a wine bottle that transforms into a flower that becomes an elephant.

And later on this side of the world, the pioneer of Indian cinema, Dada Saheb Phalke, created a stop motion movie using matchsticks called ‘Agkadyanchi Mouj’- ‘The Game of Match Sticks’, which is hailed as the beginning of Indian animation.

And since then, we saw the rise of many skilled and enthusiastic filmmakers and animators trying their hands in this art form. Amongst them was ‘The Pea Brothers’ made by Gunamoy Banerjee in 1934, which was the first animated film in India to get a theatrical release. Using the classical hand-drawn animation style, this movie featured the story of five peas popping out and transforming into toys that motivated many aspiring artists to pursue this form of animation.

And later in the same year, Kolkatta-based director Birendranath Sircar pulled out a film called “On a moon night” in just a month. The fascinated thing about this movie was that it was the first time that soundtrack was added into an Animated film that amused the audiences like never before.

Then on the 15th of November 1934, Animator Raghunath K. Kelkar, along with Pune-based Prabhat Film company founded by V. Shantaram, released an animated shot called Jambu kaka at Majestic Cinema in Mumbai.

Jambu Kaka

This shot featured a humanized Jackal that gained immense popularity amongst its viewers and helped Indian animation-grow further. This eventually led to a decade full of innovative and imaginative movies, right from Lafanga Langoor in 1935 by Mohan Bhavani, “Superman Myth” in 1939 by G.K Gokhale, Bakam Bhatt by Kolapur Cinetoons, “Akash Pataal’ by Mandar Malik, and IFI’s “The War that never ends.” And with it ended the long-fought war against the colonial rule, and most of the works were lost somewhere in the pages of history.

But, not all hopes were lost, as the whole country was engulfed in the celebration of newly found independence and a sense of nationality. Gemini Studios of Chennai released a wholly Indian animation film called “Cinema Kadambam,” a series of animated caricatures of famous film stars of the ’40s made by N. Thanu.

And meanwhile, in Mumbai, Animators Gupte and Ghokle were planning to revolutionize the advertising sector and created an animated series called Rangeen Chutkiya, which held its position till 1955.

And next year, in 1956, Indian animation regained its spirit with the arrival of Disney’s Animator Claire Weeks under the Indo-American technical co-operation program. His mission was to expose Indian artists to advanced technological and creative equipment and helped to set-up India’s first-ever animation studio.

And with it, began the production of the first independent animation film called “The Banyan Deer” in the year 1957, inspired by the Jataka tales. Staying true to the intention of the Indo-US relationship, the film also resembled the mixture of Indian and American art styles. The human characters were inspired by the artistic style of Ajanta caves, while the Deer had a close resemblance to Disney’s Bambi.

This film was widely appreciated and tasted great success that helped to launch the careers of some of the best-known artists in the history of Indian Animation.

And with the success of The Banyan deer and many other short-films and shows, the next decade brought the era of experiments, trials, and errors as many bold artists tried various techniques such as time-lapse, cut-out animation, stop-motion, claymation, etc.

Many of these were used as propaganda films to promote the government’s ideology and influence the citizens to adopt a better standard of living. Soon animation began to transform from merely an art to a full-fledged career.

And with it, we saw the rise of great artists like Madhava Kunte, Ramesh Potnis, Bhimsain Khurana, who is best known for his short film Ek Chidiya Anek Chidiya, V.G Sawant, and none other the legendary Ram Mohan hailed as the father of Indian Animation and only Indian animator to receive the prestigious Padma Shri Award by the Government of India.

Ram Mohan, Legendary Animator.

And as these artists were pushing the boundaries of this art form, the technology was also evolving rapidly, and soon, we witness the arrival of computers that quickly became part of the animation industry. This new-found tool helped save a lot of valuable time, sweat, and efforts that go into making a traditionally animated film.

Yes, something as simple as a walk cycle could take as much as eighteen hand-drawn images drawn in a sequence that loop to create an animation of a walking character. The number of drawings can increase or decrease depending upon the character’s personality, timing, phase, and many, along with essential animation principles without which the animation won’t look as good as it seems that we will learn in the upcoming chapters.

But the arrival of new technology like 2D animation and especially 3D animation cut short the output time to half, and our highly skilled and talented artists were quick to adopt this new form of working style.

And with it began a new era and came to the much-needed boom in the market of the Indian animation industry. Soon we saw the rise in demand for our domestic services in the international arena due to our quality work at a much lower price.

And since then, Indian animators have continued to showcase their capabilities around the globe that can be reflected by the number of awards we have won until this time. But sadly, we found ourselves stuck under the influence of Disney style for a longer period and have been on a roller-coaster ride in its history of over a hundred years.

Even though with the rise of many great artists like Ram Mohan, V.G Samant, and the extreme popularity of shows like Chhota Bheem, Little Singham, and movies like Hanuman, Bal Ganesha, Indian animation is still struggling to earn the respect of our local audiences.

But why is that why other countries like Us, Japan, embraced this art and have managed to turn this medium into full-fledged family entertainment, whereas, in India, it is still looked down on as purely children’s genre and is ignored by almost all adults?

But more importantly, why don’t we shy away from investing our time and money into watching International films like Kung-fu Panda, The Incredibles, but won’t even think of walking into the theater to watch domestic Animated movies?. What makes Disney, Pixar, and Ghibli so successful, and what is that we need to adopt from them to grow and prosper in terms of art, style, commerce, and entertainment.

In the upcoming articles, we will explore answers to all these and many more questions and debunk the mysteries behind the success of western and Japanese animated films and the struggle behind our industry. With each article, we will look at some fundamental and deeply rooted faults in it, things that have worked for us, and things that have led to the downward slope of the art of animation.

As an animator, as a writer, and more importantly, as an audience, my intention behind writing this book is to help the new and younger generation of artists and everyone interested in the medium to take learn from our past, fix our present, and take a leap into the future. And hopefully, together, we can support our beloved art to earn a place in the hugely profitable business of family entertainment.