Animation
Indian contingent chases animation
SAINT TROPEZ: A small Indian contingent consisting of Delhi French embassy representative Reghu Devraj, Delhi-based New Image Entertainment promoter HS Bedi, Mumbai-based CEO Star Entertainment Pvt Ltd promoters Jiten and Shabnam Hemdev, Indiantelevision.com promoter & CEO Anil Wanvari and The Economic Times Bangalore deputy resident editor Asha Rai marked their presence at Rendez-Vous 2002 organised by Television France International in Saint Tropez in south France (9-13 September).
The flavour of the market for the Indians was French animation. AB International, Teleimages International, Antefilms, Carrere group, Dargaud Marina, France Animation, M6, Marathon International, were among the programme sellers booths that the Indians frequented.
Hemdev believes that the TVFI market’s small size (vis-a-vis Mipcom and MipTV) is a positive for television buyers. “You can interact closely with the best of French programme makers, watch their shows at the screenings and then take a decision back in India.”
Says New Image Entertainment’s Bedi: “Some of the French animation products appear to be good for India. And some of the meetings I had appear to be promising. I have not bought any of the programmes as yet, but once the tapes come in and I take a look I will be in a position to take a decision.”
Hemdev believes that the TVFI market’s small size (vis-a-vis Mipcom and MipTV) is a positive for television buyers. “You can interact closely with the best of French programme makers, watch their shows at the screenings and then take a decision back in India.”
According to Wanvari, price is going to be key for French animation to work in India. “India is a complicated market and pricing licensing fees for programmes as per what European buyers are willing to pay is a sure route to disaster. French programmers have to understand this and partner with genuine Indian companies the promoters of which have a keen interest to develop the Indian market for them. A long term view on the market is needed,” he says.
If the French programme sellers understand this, we may well have many dubbed/subtitled French shows/movies debuting on television this year.
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.
