Why Vaibhav Kumaresh self-produced his animated film 'Return of the Jungle'
As 'Return of the Jungle' releases in cinemas on May 29, the filmmaker explains how it has been a long, arduous journey to get here
“Indian animation films were not doing well at the box office then,” he recalls. “When we went to people with our pitch, nobody was willing to give money.”
The process left Kumaresh “pissed off”. So he decided to bankroll it on his own. He pooled in his and eponymous company’s money to get it going. Says Kumaresh, “There was no timeline [to finish] because we didn’t have funds. We made it in instalments. We didn’t have an option but to make it our way.”
Kumaresh would turn to his family to raise money to get the desired theatrical release. Return of the Jungle releases in cinemas on May 29, and it’s been a long, arduous journey to get here.
A dedicated team of 18 artistes worked across seven years on the film. Moving from traditional puppet and stop motion and hand-drawn 2D animation, Kumaresh was keen to explore the digital 3D medium, and gradually assembled a team. The genesis of the film stemmed from a noble purpose. “If we crib that our animation is not good, then make it good. That’s our responsibility. If we don’t, then who will? It’s the fuel that kept us going,” he says.
That and the box office success of animated film Mahavatar Narsimha last year was certainly a morale booster. And Kumaresh takes pride in what Ashwin Kumar and Kleem Productions accomplished with their passion project. “You can bank on the fact that gods will sell, but it needs to be made well, beautifully and truthfully,” notes Vaibhav. Faring well in cinemas is of equal significance to him. “That’s when industry respects you. We need to earn that space,” he adds.
But Kumaresh was clear he didn’t want to do mythology, rather “wanted contemporary India” reflected in his work. “I love putting my own life into films, my stories growing up,” he says. “I love folk tales like Jataka, Panchtantra; how they used to take everyday situations and give values and teachings that were simple and inspired you.”
Return of the Jungle is centred around fourth graders whose small issues are of course big problems for them. There’s a Tata, a grandfather who is as much a buddy to them as a wise adult. “When I put people I know, then characters become more rounded and convincing,” he explains. The school kids are inspired by stories of the jungle. “There’s nostalgia for the parents and seniors, but it is also quirky with nutcase characters and animals, which will appeal to teenagers and kids,” says Vaibhav. “There’s a bhajan, a qawwali, a calypso number and a cricket match too.”
Having set up his studio in 2003 and created characters like Simpu Singh for Channel V and ZooZoos for the Vodafone campaign, the Emmy-nominated animator has seen the industry come a long way. Talking about the current state of animation in India, he admits that while there is enough talent, a majority of it isn’t “spending time telling our stories but telling somebody else’s stories”—US and European studios. “We are happy to earn foreign exchange and be service providers. We are not creators of the show. We are offering cheap labour,” he says.
Another area of concern is the lack of understanding from the industry at large about animation and the timelines it takes to deliver. “It’s a marathon, not a 100m sprint,” he adds. “Even Pixar and DreamWorks take five years to make an animated film.”
Which is why Kumaresh is hoping the Return of the Jungle gamble pays off with families coming to cinemas to experience a Made-in-India project. “It’s very important to tell local, indigenous stories to our audience,” he says. “Let’s first aim for our own audience, which is so huge, and spread all across, and then the global audience.”
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“Indian animation films were not doing well at the box office then,” he recalls. “When we went to people with our pitch, nobody was willing to give money.”
The process left Kumaresh “pissed off”. So he decided to bankroll it on his own. He pooled in his and eponymous company’s money to get it going. Says Kumaresh, “There was no timeline [to finish] because we didn’t have funds. We made it in instalments. We didn’t have an option but to make it our way.”
Kumaresh would turn to his family to raise money to get the desired theatrical release. Return of the Jungle releases in cinemas on May 29, and it’s been a long, arduous journey to get here.
A dedicated team of 18 artistes worked across seven years on the film. Moving from traditional puppet and stop motion and hand-drawn 2D animation, Kumaresh was keen to explore the digital 3D medium, and gradually assembled a team. The genesis of the film stemmed from a noble purpose. “If we crib that our animation is not good, then make it good. That’s our responsibility. If we don’t, then who will? It’s the fuel that kept us going,” he says.
That and the box office success of animated film Mahavatar Narsimha last year was certainly a morale booster. And Kumaresh takes pride in what Ashwin Kumar and Kleem Productions accomplished with their passion project. “You can bank on the fact that gods will sell, but it needs to be made well, beautifully and truthfully,” notes Vaibhav. Faring well in cinemas is of equal significance to him. “That’s when industry respects you. We need to earn that space,” he adds.
But Kumaresh was clear he didn’t want to do mythology, rather “wanted contemporary India” reflected in his work. “I love putting my own life into films, my stories growing up,” he says. “I love folk tales like Jataka, Panchtantra; how they used to take everyday situations and give values and teachings that were simple and inspired you.”
Return of the Jungle is centred around fourth graders whose small issues are of course big problems for them. There’s a Tata, a grandfather who is as much a buddy to them as a wise adult. “When I put people I know, then characters become more rounded and convincing,” he explains. The school kids are inspired by stories of the jungle. “There’s nostalgia for the parents and seniors, but it is also quirky with nutcase characters and animals, which will appeal to teenagers and kids,” says Vaibhav. “There’s a bhajan, a qawwali, a calypso number and a cricket match too.”
Having set up his studio in 2003 and created characters like Simpu Singh for Channel V and ZooZoos for the Vodafone campaign, the Emmy-nominated animator has seen the industry come a long way. Talking about the current state of animation in India, he admits that while there is enough talent, a majority of it isn’t “spending time telling our stories but telling somebody else’s stories”—US and European studios. “We are happy to earn foreign exchange and be service providers. We are not creators of the show. We are offering cheap labour,” he says.
Another area of concern is the lack of understanding from the industry at large about animation and the timelines it takes to deliver. “It’s a marathon, not a 100m sprint,” he adds. “Even Pixar and DreamWorks take five years to make an animated film.”
Which is why Kumaresh is hoping the Return of the Jungle gamble pays off with families coming to cinemas to experience a Made-in-India project. “It’s very important to tell local, indigenous stories to our audience,” he says. “Let’s first aim for our own audience, which is so huge, and spread all across, and then the global audience.”
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