Source: Associated Press Worldstream
MUMBAI, INDIA, November 21, 2002: Hanuman is the star character in India’s first animated feature film. “Hanuman,” is scheduled to be released in 2003 in Hindi and English, and distributed in Asia, the United States and Britain. The movie depicts Hanuman protecting villages and Hindu priests by chasing away fire-breathing dragons, seven-headed serpents and green demons. “We have tried to go beyond Superman. Hanuman is like a super super hero,” said V.G. Samant, head of animation at production company Silvertoon. Some 65 software and animation artists worked on the film for more than a year, along with researchers who pored over Hindu scriptures. Samant said, “Our research has shown that Hanuman is the favorite character of children in Thailand. Gods like Hanuman, Rama, Sita and others are well-known in the Philippines and Indonesia. People there know our mythology. A hit Hindi film makes around US$5 to $6 million in India, while a well-received foreign animation film makes up to $400,000 to $800,000,” said Komal Nata, who produces Film Information, a movie trade guide. He said Indians were not yet captivated by animation and prefer actual characters. “But mythology can make a difference,” he said. If the Hanuman film “has a soul, people may change their perception about animation.”