Ukrainian animated film Stolen Princess is releasing in India this week. In an exclusive interview with City Express, Sushilkumar Agarwal, CEO of Ultra Media and Entertainment Group that bought the distribution rights in India, speaks about the present status of animation films in India. The film is releasing on August 24 across India.
Who is Stolen Princess?
The Stolen Princess is a family-oriented animation film which is an engaging fairy tale with captivating adventures, fascinating original characters and interesting subplots. It is nothing less than a Disney movie and hence, has been doing fabulously across the globe. The film is here to entertain people from all the walks of life.
How have the dynamics of the animated films changed over the years?
The animation sector in India has been growing steadily over the past few years. India has emerged as a key animation development market as Hollywood studios have been tapping India’s large pool of low-cost, English- speaking animators who are familiar with the western culture. Even the increased consumption in tier-II and tier-III Indian cities is creating more opportunities for the industry.
What next in the animation sector you think will drag people to theatres?
The animation genre has been one of the longest-lasting and indestructible genres in film history, always drawing in parents and their children. Fans of the genre are always in for quite a ride, and the current lineup of animated projects in development are going to revisit old and beloved characters as well as introduce brand-new ones.
Having said that, 2019 is shaping up to become one of the busiest periods in the history of animated movies. There are dozens of animated films currently in development, including projects from Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, and other studios. Despite the various sequels, reboots, and spin-offs to already established franchises, there is also a fair share of original stories coming soon to theatres.
What are the challenges of making animated films in India?
India first of all needs an animation set up in order to make a animation film. There are no proper institutes in India that teaches you animation. Another aspect plaguing the growth of the Indian animation industry is the constant money haggling that international studios indulge in when it comes to hiring VFX vendors from India. There is also a lack of subsidies from both central and the state governments.