Film Production
Illusion Reality Studioz aims to revolutionise post-production space in India: Nitin Dadoo
MUMBAI: Contiloe Pictures has proved itself a pioneer in the industry since its inception two decades ago. And now, the fully integrated, premium broad-based entertainment content production company announced that its VFX division will be rebranded to Illusion Reality Studioz.
With the aim to become the one stop destination for all VFX needs, the in-house vertical will solely focus on VFX, animation, previz/techviz, on-set camera tracking, lidar scanning amongst others, and will continue the Contiloe ethos of merging storytelling and art with science. The vertical will be helmed by Illusion Reality Studioz( a Contiloe Pictures group company) animation & VFX business head, Contiloe Pictures CFO Nitin Dadoo.
“For the last three years, we were evaluating the significance and the extension plan. Apart from in-house content we started taking external projects – from Hollywood, OTT or regional shows. During this time, we realised that the complexities and number of projects are increasing and it is the best time to start a new vertical which will cater into both VFX and animation,” explained Dadoo, adding that the rebrand was deferred from 2020 to 2021 due to the Covid2019 pandemic.
At present, the studio has a strength of more than 200 employees who are working from its Mumbai and Bhubaneshwar facilities. The team is bifurcated into two divisions – one solely focused on internal projects and the other handles external projects. The creative team is headed by Nicholas Camecho, along with creative directors Deepak SV and Indraneel Roy. Nicholas boasts of over 35 years experience in the VFX and animation space including his stints with studios like Disney and Warner Bros. He has also held the title of creative supervisor, director and producer across several CG development projects in London. Deepak is an old hand in visual effects and animation, and handles foreign and Indian clients. A national film awardee creative director with a demonstrated history of working in the entertainment industry, he has had successful stints working with Pixion, Maya Entertainment and Accel media. Roy’s expertise lies in motion pictures and visual effects. With 25 years of diverse experience, he has worked closely with the directors, producers, production houses, cinematographers and studios as Visual Effects Director / VFX Supervisor to materialize their varied visions. Nishikant is the CGI and VFX supervisor. Head of production Bharat Mistry has been associated with Contiloe Pictures for well over a decade now.
In the aftermath of the virus outbreak and resumption of filming, it was observed that several production houses are venturing into virtual production to minimise the budget and avoid outdoor shoots. The team at Illusion Reality Studioz is aiming to take virtual production a notch higher, as it is going to be a key pillar in the VFX facility. Under this technology, there will be functions like unreal motion builder which will be used to create photo imagery. Within the camera, the team can showcase what the directors are emphasising. Through this technology, directors, creators and DOPs can become the part of visualisation process before it goes on the edit table.
Citing an example, Dadoo mentioned that for their upcoming premium series, they are virtually creating some assets and locations within the script to make it easier for the director to figure out the cast needed for the show and other important details. He shared that this process will save time on post-production.
Virtual production will allow them to create photo real and hyper real assets within the existing system. Through on-set camera tracking, lidar scanning (used to scan the set) it would be easier to create an environment in real time and it will also allow to create final imagery without going into post production.
“In India, we spend 15-20 per cent of our time in pre-production, 40 per cent in shooting and another 35-40 per cent goes in post-production. But in the western world, things are more organised. They spend 40 per cent of their time in pre-production followed by shooting and in post-production they only spend 20 per cent. India is still in the learning process, with our studio we are also trying to get into that space where we plan much in advance and save cost and time,” Dadoo detailed.
He envisages to become the first VFX studio in the country to use these tools and change the landscape of post-production process.
Apart from working on current projects like Vighnaharta Ganesha, State of Siege 26: 11, the studio is busy developing an original series – Akshardham, the shooting will commence in may. On the external projects, the team recently finished working on MX Player’s eight-part web series Ram Yug. The series is directed and produced by Kunal Kohli. The studio will also start working on 26-part animation series for The Jim Henson Company.
Dadoo said he is flexible with working on both co-production and commission based projects. Acquisition and syndication of content is also on the cards, stating that he’s working on syndicating content from Thailand and the Sri Lankan market. However, the major focus will be on creating content where the studio can retain the rights.
Film Production
Arka Mediaworks onboards 88 Pictures as animation studio partner on ‘The Eternal War – Part 1’
Arka Mediaworks announces that 88 Pictures, the acclaimed animation and visual storytelling studio known for its cutting-edge CGI and cinematic artistry, is on board as the animation partner for the highly anticipated Baahubali: The Eternal War, a groundbreaking two-part 3D animated feature film set in the globally beloved Baahubali universe.
Baahubali: The Eternal War represents a bold new chapter in the Baahubali saga envisioned for national and international audiences and crafted with the ambition of delivering one of India’s most ambitious and globally benchmarked animation projects to date.
88 Pictures will execute the animation production, bringing to life the film’s richly detailed worlds, epic battle sequences, and larger-than-life characters with its signature blend of artistic vision, performance-driven animation, and advanced production pipelines. Working closely with the film’s creative leadership and technical partners, the studio aims to set new benchmarks in animation quality, cinematic storytelling, and global scalability.
This animated epic follows the successful re-release of Baahubali: The Epic (the combined theatrical version of the original live-action films) on 31 October 2025 across India and the USA. During the film’s interval, legendary creator and director S.S. Rajamouli (Baahubali 1 & 2, RRR) stunned audiences with a surprise teaser for The Eternal War – Part 1. The video immediately went viral, garnering widespread national and international acclaim across LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for its ambitious visual style and scale.
Produced by Arka Mediaworks and led by co-founder and CEO Shobu Yarlagadda – producer of the iconic Baahubali duology, The Eternal War brings together fantastic storytelling and cutting-edge animation.. The film is directed and written by acclaimed animation filmmaker Ishan Shukla (Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust, Star Wars: Visions – “The Bandits of Golak”) and screenplay by Scott Mosier (The Grinch). Mihira Visual Labs, the studio co-founded by Yarlagadda anchors the film’s animation, visual development, and execution.
The partnership with 88 Pictures brings significant pedigree to the project; the studio is well-regarded for its work on high-profile international titles including DreamWorks’ series Trollhunters, the HBO Max original series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Disney’s animated short An Almost Christmas Story to name a few.
Yarlagadda shared, “We are happy to onboard 88 Pictures as the animation studio partner for our prestigious and most expensive animated film from India. We believe that their expertise and capabilities will allow us to produce a first-of-its-kind, world-class animated feature film from India.”
88 Pictures founder & CEO Milind D. Shinde said, “Baahubali changed the way cinema is perceived and became a defining milestone that turned the tide for Indian live-action filmmaking. Expanding the franchise into an entirely new universe—at a never-seen, never-done scale—through an animated feature created in India for a global audience is set to redefine how the world views Indian animation. We are truly thrilled to be part of this landmark project and to bring it to life under the visionary direction of Ishan Shukla, guided by the experience and leadership of acclaimed producer Shobu Yarlagadda.”
Shukla expressed, “Eternal War requires a level of visual and emotional precision that can only come from teams who truly understand both craft and intent. Working with 88 Pictures, alongside Mihira Visual Labs, has been a deeply collaborative experience. This association brings together technical excellence and creative sensitivity, enabling us to translate an ambitious vision into a compelling cinematic reality.”
Baahubali: The Eternal War – Part 1 is scheduled for release in 2027
