Animation
Toonz partners with Seagull Productions to explore Arabian markets
MUMBAI: Toonz Animation India seems to be on a Gulf trotting spree. In an endeavour to expand its global operations, the company which is essentially a well established animation studio delivering content for Film, Television, DVD, Internet and other interactive platforms has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dubai based Seagull TV Productions. With technical support from Toonz, Seagull aims to seek out business opportunities and secure project sales in the Middle East-UAE region according to the Toonz CEO P. Jayakumar.
Seagull TV Productions, led by its Chairperson Hessa Al Ossaily, is a filmmaker, distributor and program provider for the television industry in the Middle East.
“I believe we have set the foundation for a strong business relationship,” says Jayakumar, “Seagull has an excellent track record in project sales and this partnership will help us break into a relatively untapped market. This deal will also be a shot-in-the-arm for our strategy of identifying new markets and creating business hubs for animation in all parts of the world,” Jayakumar adds.
For the duration of this MOU, Seagull will have exclusive rights to represent both parties in United Arab Emirates (including the Free Zones in UAE). Seagull will also have the priority for business representation in GCC ( Gulf Cooperative Council) and African markets, until Toonz Animation has exclusive business representatives in these regions.
“The increasing number of local Arabic channels will open more opportunities for shows focusing on our regional culture and heritage,” says Hessa, “I foresee a bright future for this venture, which will open a new market for animation films specifically made for Middle East region”
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.
