"A ghost who draws..."

Below is an illustration for ASIFA India's International Animation Day (IAD) celebrations.. featuring the mascots we designed, in a special tribute to the legendary 'Phantom' comics we grew up with!!! One of my more fruitful preoccupations these last few months.. more to come soon!!

The Phantom rocks!!!

....and so does the jungle tom-tom insta-messaging service!!!!

For the proper context and its details (lovingly put in a comic cover format by the gang at ASIFA) : http://www.asifaindia.com/

While I have often felt like sharing a lot thru these last many months as work on Tripura gradually wound up, I found myself (uncharacteristically) at a loss for words..

This may have been due to several reasons: the befuddling amount of work itself... the nature of that enterprise which is still a continuing struggle to realise the project's full potential..( all brethren that strongly experience 'art vs commerce' conflicts will understand)... the madness of overcommitment of both self and studio towards an ideal.. the resultant financial catastrophes..

the consequent dance for survival... the rabid debates and moral conflicts.. loss of family (team) members.. grim determinations... solemn oaths.. and more work!!

I wonder if the above is a description of the past or the present..?

The First Animated Feature from Animagic!!!

Now it can be finally told!! (and thanks to my schedule, this is not the first place where you heard it..)

The fruit of the last year's labour .. the first animated feature from Animagic!!!

TRIPURA- The three cities of Maya.

A co-production with ACK Media, the company that owns the most popular comics from India, Amar Chitra Katha (yes, for entire generations of Indians, their source to their roots), the film is a direct to TV special to be broadcast on Cartoon Network later this year!!

The Amar Chitra Katha based on this legend of Shiva was one of my favourite comics.. illustrated by the great Ram Waeerkar, one of my earliest gurus. In a way this is my guru dakshina, not just to him but to the other greats who illustrated ACKs through three decades; by way of making something that has stemmed from them but goes further in all directions.. into the roots of the original myth, in the high drama of narrative, in the imagination and dynamics of animation!!

read the report on Animation Xpress & Variety.com. Dont miss the exclusive slide show of the visual development and color script!!

Hathman sketches & Layouts

Just sharing some sketches & roughs from the Super Hathman, launched last saturday by Karadi Tales..

These are almost a year old.. The retelling by Kaushik Vishwanath is quite fun and the reading by Jaaved Jaaferi entertaining.. tho we hadn't heard the audio till the book was ready, infact didn't even know who was doing the voice! Given that, I feel that there is quite a Jaaved'ness to the character, dont you think?

Hathman trying to meditate.. what do you think he is bothered by?

The story, an old tale about spiritual aspirants hankering after super-powers without having the necessary self-control and humility, is a cool one.. When asked to focus on a simple prayer with a warning not to think about monkeys, the aspirant finds that monkeys start to dominate his thoughts.. he is unable to get a single line of the prayer thru without thinking about monkeys...A hard lesson for a mind that wants to 'own' superpowers! It doesn't even own itself!! Try it yourself!!

Hathman surveys the monastry..

Below kids final sketch for the same layout..

Hathman harassed by the monkeys in his monkey mind

Super Hathman learns his lesson! We may or may not be able to calm our minds from the endless chattering we are so used to now.. We do however have a choice to be humble and thankful about the gifts we do possess.

Just as we may not be able to trace the roots of 'God-given' talent (it is obviously not just dna or nurturing...), we will do well to remember, that's exactly what it is.. a gift from the supreme creative energy.. it is grace and we are instruments of expression for that creative source.

Karadi Tales: Super Hathman Launch!!

So its finally going to be out.. On the 9th of Jan, SUPER HATHMAN, narrated by the inimitable Jaaved Jaaferi ( thats how he spells it) and illustrated by us, releases at an event at Landmark book store at Andheri. Jaaved himself will be there to read from the book apart from the karadi gang, and yours truly, of course.. See ya there! Buy the book, its great entertainment..meanwhile here are a few images from the book.. and a few roughs..

Do check out the recently set up Karadi Tales blog as well..

Hathman meets the Lama in this beautifully colored page by Deepa Chordia.

Munna & Circuit!

After going thru all sorts of guilty feelings about not being able to find the space to sit and put down these random (and sometimes, not so random) thoughts.. I have reached the conclusion that my personal redemption lies in resuming this archaeological and anthropological investigation into ones artistic and personal journey. As such everybody indulges in it verbatim, but to carve it on the immense wall of introspective babble, art and myriad graffiti that is the blog world is an act requiring more than a touch of humility and love ( for oneself, and others-- now why don't I take that more seriously and spare them the verbiage above?)

SO I AM BACK!

More about the manifold experiences and adventures in the 'meanwhile' of my blog-absence, as usual, later..

For now, a cartoon of Munna & Circuit that graces the back cover of the screenplay of "Lage Raho Munnabhai!!" published and released this month..Should be available at most major bookstores.

We were very privileged to be a part of the production of this film by virtue of doing some of the effects and corrections thereby taking the load off the assigned post house..we had just come out of Eklavya then..seems like a very long time back now..(archaeology..)

This caricature of Sanjay Dutt & Arshad Warsi in the roles that have now become synonymous with them was presented to Sanjubaba on his birthday, I believe.. also it hangs proudly in the offices of VCF & Raju Hirani!!

Wish them all the best for many more such successes.. ALL IZZ WELL.. I suppose:)

(read about the book here: Scripted! Munna bhai on bookshelves.. alsohere, and here a video of the event, you can see the display..)

In Memoriam: Great masters: Habib Tanvir 1

This post is so overdue... I am ashamed that it couldn't have been done earlier.. and it is still incomplete so it will be in parts..

Last month was Guru Purnima (learn more here); when we acknowledge, respect and honour the contributions of our teachers in our life..spiritual or otherwise..( but then, shouldn't all learning be considered spiritual? maybe not... a lot of nonsense out there as well).

Guru= teacher-preceptor.. or in my opinion anybody who has made a difference in my journey by inspiring and teaching me to achieve greater heights than I would have otherwise.

So firstly with adoration and obeisance at the feet of my Guru, I proceed to remember some masters who recently passed on, who made a profound contribution to the fields they were associated with and to my life and journey in particular.

The first and foremost is a theatre Legend whom I had the privilege of a brief but lovely interaction and of all the masters who have influenced me so far, the only one I have actually met.

HABIB TANVIR (1st sept 1923-8th jun 2009) was no ordinary man. Acclaimed theatre director& playwright, poet, lyricist, actor, singer and teacher to many while running a professional troupe, Naya theatre for half a century!!

You can read about his life and work on the net.. There is the website habibtanvir.org ..one good article is this: Habib Tanvir: The making of a Legend by Javed Malik another here by Nilanjana Roy, The BS column: Habib Tanvir

A beautiful tribute ' A farewell to the bard of Bhopal ' by Sudhanva Deshpande who made two documentaries on him and Naya Theatre.

Another interesting item is an interview from 2004, "Art is always anti-establishment"

Talisman.. The Trailer!!

character study for Talisman

Have itching to put up something interesting for a while..but juggling too many things.. the studio is undergoing some rapid and cool developments.. you will hear about it soon!

concept for BigB's character in the Talisman promo

In the meantime some semi-recent stuff that was great fun to do. Some of you who caught Ekalvya on the big screen may have seen a trailer for a film called Talisman, to be directed by one of our fondest friends, Ram Madhvani (Happydent, Xbox360, Himani Pain Relief etc,etc) and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. This film was a fantasy-'sword and sorcery' epic, the sort not made in India since the magical 60s and based on 'Chandrakanta' a late 19th century novel which I think, was initially a serialised story appearing in periodicals.It was written by Babu Devakinandan Khatri and borrows many concepts from the then widely popular Dastan traditions.

Character concept

We worked only on visualising and designing the preview trailer which was to announce the film. Initially we were to also execute this special effects heavy piece as well as create concept art for the entire film, but it was not possible for us to get involved for ten thousand reasons.. the most important of which was that we just couldnt have handled it logistically .Also this was a moment of truth period, where we realised we wanted to return our focus to animation.

The following are the boards we did for the piece. It helped to set the tone for the piece and the design for Amitabh (yes, him again) Bachchan's character.All of this was done practically overnight and was enormously satisfying to put together. Quite a rush!

...the storyboard panels

Anyway, the released trailer is on youtube.. here it is. Some details are different in it as you will see. My personal opinions aside, in the time at hand, it got done and well enough to be put on the screen! so kudos to Ram's team for sheer courage in the face of odds!! Thats how movies get made in India!!

Animagic is 12!!! Part 2: Change.. in instalments

My gratefull thanks to all who have contributed to the journey so far or been part of it in any way!! It has all been a wonderful and organic process and I wouldn't change it for a thing!!

Speaking of change, the Animagic website is undergoing a rehaul.. and it's got a new look!!! Its going to have a lot more masala in it. Lots of stuff there already.. lots more cleaning going on..

 Most importantly the New Raju & I site is up!! Many more preproduction drawings, character sketches and backgrounds....

there's a guestbook up too, so please do write something when you visit.. and please do go back for more..

for now some art from the New! Raju & I site..

'Atul's Village' Background by Shailaja Jain

Animagic is 12!!! Part 1: Going to the Dogs!!!

The first dozen this 1st of May!! Well, it's been a loooong journey but the party is just pickin up big time!!! 

Seriously though, it is thanks to this studio that I am whatever it is I am today.. It is my life, my temple, my worship, my university, my playground, my sasural and my maika!! and with Shambho and Dumroo, it has taken my life to the dogs!!!  Shambho completed one year with us on the 1st as well.. he came on the birthday last year... he was meant to be here.. 

And little Dumroo landed up at our doorstep on the 1st of January... so he completed 4 months with us too!! Triple celebration!!! 

These fellas are such fun that sometimes we feel that we should have a blog just to record them..especially Shambho's pics come out so great.. He is the most handsome member of our team!!! and has converted many dog-avoiders to full time doggy friends!

Shambho 

Dumroo 

(in hindi its the name of a little drum played by The Great God Shiva when dancing..) 

he had a peculiar timing in his movement, as he went about chasing his own tail..

The very regal Shambho