Animation
Animation veteran Jayakumar exits Toonz after 26 years at the helm
MUMBAI: P Jayakumar is calling time on his quarter-century run as chief executive of Toonz Media Group. The animation veteran will step down on 30 November, closing the book on a 26-year stint that transformed a scrappy Indian startup into a global entertainment operation.
Under Jayakumar’s watch, Toonz sprawled across continents, planting studios in Ireland, Spain and New Zealand whilst keeping roots firmly in India. The company churned out content that found its way onto screens worldwide, cementing its place in the kids and family entertainment pecking order.
“Leading Toonz has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life,” said Jayakumar. “What began as a dream shared by a small, passionate team has today grown into a global powerhouse of creativity and storytelling.”
But this isn’t quite farewell. Jayakumar hints at a new venture on the horizon—something that will keep him elbow-deep in the global entertainment game. “I will always remain emotionally connected to Toonz,” he added.
The handover has been months in the making. Jayakumar worked closely with Viswanath Rao, the group’s acting chief executive, and Karthik V Kumar, recently named finance director and board member of Toonz Animation India, to ensure the transition doesn’t skip a beat.
After 26 years steering the ship, Jayakumar is jumping overboard—but don’t expect him to drift far from shore.
MUMBAI: History is getting a fresh rewrite this time with code, creativity and a longer arc in mind. Lens Vault Studios has announced its first original production, Bal Tanhaji, marking the official entry of the newly launched, tech-driven studio into India’s evolving entertainment landscape.
Arriving six years after the box-office success of Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, the new project expands the universe rather than revisiting familiar ground. Bal Tanhaji explores uncharted narrative territory, signalling a clear shift from one-off cinematic spectacles to long-format, world-building storytelling designed for digital-first audiences.
At the heart of this ambition is Prismix Studios, the in-house generative AI and technology arm powering the creative engine behind the show. The studio’s approach blends storytelling with next-generation tools, aiming to reimagine how Indian IPs are created, scaled and sustained beyond theatrical releases.
For Lens Vault Studios chairman Ajay Devgn the new venture represents a deliberate step beyond traditional cinema. The focus is firmly on building long-form intellectual properties across fiction and non-fiction, tailored to changing viewing habits and platform-led consumption. He said the studio intends to explore formats that remain largely untapped, while drawing on the team’s experience with large-scale cinematic storytelling.
Lens Vault Studios founder and CEO Danish Devgn echoed that sentiment, describing Bal Tanhaji as the studio’s first generative-AI-led IP and the starting point of a broader vision. The aim, he noted, is to carry forward the legacy of the Tanhaji universe while connecting with younger audiences through a blend of powerful narratives and emerging technologies.
With Bal Tanhaji, Lens Vault Studios is planting its flag early not just launching a show, but signalling a larger play for cinematic universes that live, grow and evolve across platforms. If this debut is any indication, the future of Indian storytelling may be as much about imagination as it is about innovation.
