Indian Animation Movies - No Takers

Animation movies are a big hit among children across the world. They are big-time money spinners.In India, there is a huge audience for the animation programs aired in the various channels like Cartoon Network, Disney, Pogo, etc. But the movie industry in India has not made it big in the animation movies,though animation movies from Disney Corp. are popular(Lion King, Antz).Not that there is a dearth of stories. We can draw a lot of inspiration from the Ramayan, Mahabharath, the Pancha tantra, Jataka Tales, and so on. But why are animation movies not given the required push in India?

Animation movies are made popular by associationg the movies with popular stars.In the U.S., prominent actors and actresses lend their voices to animation characters. Eddie Murphy had no second thought to lend his voice to a donkey in Shrek. Would a Khan or a Kapoor of the Indian industry do that?

Animation movies or in general, movies made for children in India are marketed only for the target market. But in the US, though the intended target is children, the movies are packaged in such a way that they attract children as well as adults (who have a child's heart). This is beacuse, when an individual looks back at life, he is always filled with amazement and happiness about his childhood. So in every adult, there is a child which enjoys this walk down the memory lane. And hence a movie though targetted at children should always keep in mind the accompanying audience.

Another reason for animation movies not being popular is the untapped potential of animation designers in India. When a company manned by four emloyeees in Hyderabad can provide amazing graphics to a recent Cheeranjivi movie, we can as well harness this potential to making more meaningful cinema for children.