10 INDIAN ANIMATED FILMS EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH
The year was late 1800s, in India, a father-son duo named Mahadev Gopal and Vinayak Mahadev Patvardhan, were showing the nation the power of projected imagery. How they were doing this? With a help of a magic lantern. A magic lantern is an image projector which has two slides comprising of printed or painted imagery, one slide has static elements and the other movable elements, these two slides when used simultaneously created movement within a scene. But this was not the first time India was witnessing projected imagery. The leather puppet show, a folk art form out of Andhra Pradesh, had already shown the country what image projected on screen looks like. Thus, it is safe to say India had experienced projected imagery before the Lumiere brothers gave the world the Cinematograph. But the Cinematograph had its own powers, it could record and project image, and above all the Lumiere brothers had the money to manufacture as many Cinematographs required.
As the
Cinematograph gained prominence, a French cartoonist thought that it would be
fascinating to use the Cinematograph. In 1908, he recorded many of his cartoons
with the help of the cinematograph, and gave the world its first animated film.
The name of the film is ‘’A Fantasy’’, and the person who made it was Emil
Cohl. Back in India, our very own Dadasaheb Phalke, was also trying his hand in
animation, and made India’s first animated film, ‘’A Game of Matchsticks’’. Since
then Phalke kept on experimenting with animation, in his last silent film,
‘’Setu Bandhan’’, Phalke used an animated opening title sequence.
Since early
1930s, animation became an integral part of communication. Most of the
animators in India at that time were self-taught and learned their craft by
studying American animated films. K.S. Gupte, and G.K. Gokhale, were pioneering
the animation scene in India. Most of these films were for educational purposes
and had the backing of the British government. But on 15th August,
1947, the British left India, and with them went all the funding, and the
animation division came to an end. In the same year Gemini Studios of Madras,
made ‘’Cinema Kadambam’’, independent India’s first animated film. On the other
hand Gupte and Gokhale had moved to Bombay to work in advertising.
In 1956,
Clair Weeks, a Disney animator came to India, under the Indo American Technical
Programme, with the aim of setting up an animation division in the Films
Division of India. Gupte and Gokhale joined Weeks, and thus the animation
division was set. Since then the
division continued to produce animated films on a regular basis. The first film
to be produced was ‘’Banyan Deer’’. The film was a massive success and this was
the beginning of the animation revolution in India. The Films Division of India
has produced some landmark animated films in our country, here are 10 Indian
animated films everyone should watch.
THE METRIC SYSTEM
This 1958
documentary deals with the introduction of metric system in India. Directed by
Govind Saraiya, who worked on ‘’Banayan Deer’’, this 8-minute film shows how
the metric system has simplified calculations and made the lives of an Indian
easier.
UMBRELLA
This film
also deals with family planning, but paints a picture which shows
simultaneously the benefits of having a small family rather than a large one.
This 3-minute film is directed by B.R. Shendge.
MY WISE DADDY
Made in
1965, this film tells the importance of family planning. The film shows a happy
family where children are looked after by both parents and the benefits of
having a small family. This film is too directed by Govind Saraiya.
THE BALLOON
Released in
1985, this film warns people to be aware of rumors. The B.R.Shendge film shows how rumors can
create chaos in one’s life.
TREE OF UNITY
V.G.Samant
made this film in 1972, which tells the importance of unity in our lives. The
film was made on the theme of National Integration, and was shown in schools
across India.
THE LION AND THE RABBIT
‘’You don’t
have to be big to be successful’’, this is the theme of the 1974 film. Based on
the Panchatantra tale, V.G.Samant crafts this film inside a jungle, with a lion
and a rabbit playing protagonists.
WIVES AND WIVES
In 1962,
India was going through a change. Women were finally asking for the respect
they deserve. Pramod Pati comically crafts the film that tells the story of a
bachelor who is on a lookout for a bride.
A FABLE RETOLD
This 1965
film tells how the Cumulative Time Deposit Scheme is beneficial to the common
man. Pramod Pati tells the story through
the eyes of a colony of ants.
EK ANEK AUR EKTA
Made around
the proverb ‘’United we stand, divided we fall’’, this 1974 film shows a young
girl explaining her brother what unity can do. The Vijaya Mulay film can also
be termed as a musical, and is perhaps Films Division’s one of the most
successful projects.
THIS IS OUR INDIA
The film
shows geographical and economic facts about our nation, and how the people of
our nation underwent the Five Year Plan Projects. Pramod Pati very cleverly
portrays the lives of Indians and how they are working towards a better life.
India has
always been in the forefront in the animation industry, and proved its worth
time and again, of what it can do with proper backing and support. But over the
years it failed to ignite the fire that it always promised to. With no proper
backing and support, and its unhealthy obsession with foreign animation, the
industry lost its charm and originality it had back in the days. It is utterly
sad that if we wanted to make a top 10 list of Indian animated films in the
past decade, we would not be able to complete the list. What is more sad is the
fact that our generation has grown up watching American and Japanese animation
and most of us are not even aware of these Indian gems, all thanks to Indian
television white-collars, who thought buying the rights to a Japanese anime
series is better than producing an original Indian animation. We hope this list
gives you a glimpse of what our animation industry was back in the days, and
ignites a sense of pride in your hearts. Cheers!
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