Animation
A new chapter unfolds as Lens Vault Studios debuts Bal Tanhaji
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.
MUMBAI: EiPi Media has struck a licensing partnership with Pran’s Features LLP and Toonz Media Group to create AI-powered digital content featuring Chacha Chaudhary and his inseparable sidekick Sabu, signalling a new phase in the monetisation of India’s legacy intellectual property.
Under the agreement, Pran’s Features LLP, the copyright holder of the iconic comic characters created by the late cartoonist Pran Kumar Sharma, has licensed EiPi Media to develop short-form, AI-driven animated microfilms for branded and platform-native use. The effort aims to preserve the humour, values and visual identity of the originals while adapting them for a digital-first audience.
The initiative sits at the intersection of three converging trends: the untapped commercial potential of India’s legacy IP, a maturing animation and storytelling ecosystem, and AI-led production tools capable of delivering cinematic realism at scale and speed. The resulting content is designed for high engagement across social and digital platforms, with brand integration woven into narrative rather than bolted on.
EiPi Media founder and chief executive Rohit Reddy, said the partnership is about extending cultural relevance, not novelty. “By harnessing AI, we are creating emotionally resonant stories at digital speed, while keeping the characters’ original charm and values intact,” he said, adding that the goal is to build long-term narrative value across platforms and generations.
Pran’s Features LLP director Nikhil Pran, said Chacha Chaudhary has always evolved with changing media, from print to television and now AI-powered animation. “This step allows us to embrace new technology while staying true to a character that became part of everyday cultural literacy across India,” he said.
Viswanath Rao of Toonz Media Group said the collaboration reimagines the duo as hyper-realistic, performance-driven AI personas built for digital-first platforms, avoiding both dated animation styles and superficial AI gimmicks.
Planned outputs include branded short films, narrative-led brand campaigns and seamless IP integrations across digital ecosystems. In an overcrowded attention economy, EiPi Media is positioning Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu not as revived icons, but as living characters: familiar, trusted and engineered for the future of storytelling.
