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International studios driven by ethics, says Supari’s Advait Gupt
MUMBAI: The budding animation industry in India has a long way to go till it can compete with the likes of Disney and Dreamworks. The digital medium, however, gives even smaller content creators the chance to become global sensations. One such studio based in Mumbai that was thrilled to have been picked by one of the largest media companies to partner on a project was Supari Studios (Supari).
Supari is a digital content studio that is focussed on generating engaging content on the web through live action and animated films. Supari founder Advait Gupt has worked with both national and international companies and while the latter may sound impressive, it is not without its challenges. “The one natural challenge we faced is time zones. When you are working with a client in the US, you take calls at 5 am; the time zone is a factor we can’t control.” He adds that international companies are driven by process and ethics that have enabled his team to create content within two weeks. “They have a certain style of work and the transparency of work is very high,” he says.
Supari and Post Office, in association with Warner Bros Records, released the official lyric video for the song New Rules by Dua Lipa on digital that garnered 300 thousand views within 24 hours and over 2.1 million views in two months. New Rules has got most traction from Mexico, Spain and Brazil and has received over 2000 comments on the video.
Gupt shares insights on how the association came to be. “Warner Brothers got in touch with us in the middle of last year. They had seen our animation work and were impressed with the quality. The association with Warner Brothers started with a work for an artist called Adam Lambert in June last year. It was an animated lyric video that got a lot of traction and was received positively by millions of people globally. Post that, they approached us to make a 2D animation lyric video for an artist called Dua Lippa who happens to be topping the chart in the UK and the US as well. Warner Brothers wanted us to make a similar kind of video out of her track,” he says. The project was completed in just two weeks. Eighty per cent of the work-from developing the concept to design, VFX and 2D animation-was done by Gupt’s in-house team.
Both the type of animation and length are important in determining production factors. A typical one-minute 2D animation video costs Rs 3-5 lakh.
Gupt has two more entities under him-Post Office and Vitamin Stree. Post Office is the animation studio while Vitamin Stree is a content channel from Supari focussed on cultural, political, artistic and ideological perspectives that are shaping the lives of women in contemporary India.
Vitamin Stree has recently launched a campaign to raise funds for Nisha Gupta who is a para-athlete and is paralysed from her waist down. She plays for the women’s wheelchair basketball team that represents Maharashtra and Supari is raising funds for her and the whole team.
Gupt feels that the animated short film Outsider, which they made in early 2017 on domestic violence in South Asians communities in the US, gave Supari tremendous recognition across the world. The film was shortlisted for nine film festivals globally. After seeing Supari’s work and recognition in the global market, Warner Brothers pitched them to work on their own projects.
Supari has a big line up for 2018. Projects with Redbull, Viacom18 and Hotstar are in the pipeline. A food and talk show with Hotstar was recently completed and a travel show with Viacom18 is currently in progress. These projects are expected to go live from March to April. Doppelganger was a show done in association with Redbull that took content from India for the first time.
Since its inception in 2012, Supari has had the opportunity to work with a diverse set of brands such as Absolut, Nike, Dolby, Google, Skype, Uber, Maybelline, Estee Lauder, Godrej, Asian Paints, Amul, Mahindra, YouTube, ITC, Maggi and L’Oréal.
Gupt and his team are on cloud nine with all the praises being showered by global companies. “We are proud that a global music label like Warner Brothers saw value in finding a small, young and creative studio such as ours to deliver global quality content while meeting the standards,” he says. Some more discussions are to be held for future possible liaisons.
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NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
