GOVERNMENT’S PROTECTION AND SUPPORT IS NEEDED FOR NURTURING LOCAL ANIMATION INDUSTRY – KIREET KHURANA

India has a huge talent in animation industry, but we have just become service providers for foreign animation industries, noted film maker and animator Kireet Khurana. While interacting with media today during Mumbai International Film Festival 2018, Mr Khurana pitched for government’s protection and intervention to nurture indigenous animation industry. Like other countries, Indian government should make a rule to allot specific slot on television channels for animation based on Indian content and stories, said Mr Khurana. He hoped that this move will encourage Indian animators to make own animation and cartoon films and will boost local animation industry. He further said that television channels may be asked to telecast Indigenous animation films so that India should become “animation Superpower” in real sense.

Kireet Khurana, son of Veteran Animator and Film Maker Bhisain Khurana expressed his gratitude towards Films Division for showcasing Bhimsain Khurana’s films in special Retrospective section. It’s a salute to pioneer of animation films in India who have started his career from Films Division itself, said Kireet Khurana. While acknowledging Films Division’s contribution in Indian Animation Industry, Kireet said that each and every movement in animation in the country has direct or indirect roots with Films Division.

Bhimsain Khurana , known as India’s animation pioneer has started his career in 1970 with his debut animation short “The Climb” earned him the Silver Hugo Award in the prestigious Chicago Interational Film Festival. After being hailed as a Pioneer in Indian animation, Bhimsain diversified into Feature film production. In 1976 his debut feature film ‘Gharaonda’ was hailed as an avant-garde film and fetched more than 30 awards. This was followed by more successful feature films “Doooriyan” bagged yet another Filmfare award

He also made India’s largest animation project till date in the form of a 26 episode series “Vartmaan” aired on Doordarshan. Bhimsain also has the distinction of being the first Indian animator to jury 2 International festivals- Annecy Animation Festival, France and Chairman of President’s National awards Jury – 2005. In the last so many years Bhimsain has 16 National and 7 International awards to his credit, apart from bagging many prestigious popular awards.