Animation
Toonz plans animated series on ‘Hanuman’
MUMBAI: After animation major Pentamedia Graphics’ Pandavas from the great Indian epic Mahabharat (shown on Cartoon Network), it is the turn of the Thiruvananthapurum-based Toonz Animation. This time it is a character from the other great Indian epic Ramayan that forms the subject line. Toonz is planning an animated series on the feats of mighty Indian demigod Hanuman.
“Hanuman is a fantasitc character. Children in the West as well as India will enjoy it,” Bill Dennis, CEO and President, Toonz Animation India was quoted by the Press Trust of India as saying.
For Toonz, Hanuman is the second major India-based animated series after Adventures of Tenali Raman.
Tenali Raman, has a comic series based on this popular Telugu character hitting the stands ahead of the multi-lingual TV series.
The character of Hanuman is an interesting one that the West will take to – “a little bit monkey, a little bit Tarzan,” according to Dennis.
Toonz says the series would focus on some episodes in Hanuman’s life that can be enjoyed by children the world over.
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.
