In the world of animation, there are legendary figures whose profound contributions have left an indelible mark on the industry and have inspired countless aspiring artists. Among them, the late Padma Shri Ram Mohan stands tall, a true pioneer whose vision and dedication shaped the future of Indian animation.
As a heartfelt tribute to his enduring legacy, AnimationXpress, in association with Graphiti Multimedia, established the Ram Mohan Award for Excellence in Animation in 2022. This award embodies the very values that the father of Indian animation, Mohan, championed throughout his illustrious career. This honour is presented during the Ann Awards ceremony at the Animation and More (AM) Summit each year.
Also read: Ann Awards 2024 – full list of winners
In 2022, the award was presented to veteran animator and professor Dhimant Vyas. In 2023, it was presented to Prakash Moorthy, a multi-talented artist and educator known for his contribution to animation, filmmaking, and production design. At Ann Awards 2024, the Ram Mohan Award was conferred on Nina Sabnani – an artist, educator and animation filmmaker.
During the Ann Awards ceremony on 4 September 2024 in Mumbai, Graphiti Multimedia founder Munjal B. Shroff, FICCI AVGC-XR Forum chairman Ashish Kulkarni and AnimationXpress founder, chairman and editor-in-chief Anil NM Wanvari presented the award to Sabnani, and highlighted her achievements in the animation industry.
Sabnani’s animated films are rich collaborations with artists and folk fablers and have earned critical acclaim. Her national and international award-winning films include Mukand and Riaz, Tanko Bole Chhe (The Stitches Speak), and Baat Wahi Hai. Her film Hum Chitra Banate Hain, in collaboration with the Bhil artist Sher Singh from Madhya Pradesh, received the national award (Rajat Kamal) for the best animation film from the President of India at the 64th National Awards in 2016. In 2018 she received the Big Little Book award, a lifetime achievement award for illustration from Tata Trusts at the Tata Lit Live Festival in Mumbai.
She has served as a jury member at Annecy (2024), Siggraph Asia (2023) and Indie Anifest Seoul (2017). Currently, she lives in Chennai and is associated with Srishti Manipal Institute of Art Design, and Technology, Bangalore; and UPES, Dehradun.
“I am greatly humbled; thank you very much Graphiti, Ann Awards, Ram Mohan and Sheila Rao,” said Sabnani on receiving the award. “I did not get to learn from Ram Mohan but we have one very precious connection – we both had the same teacher, Clair Weeks, the animator from Disney.” On Mohan, she shared, “Ram Mohan always had this twinkle in his eye. He was always very curious.” After she finished studying in NID (National Institute of Design), Sabnani stayed back at the institute to start an animation program along with her colleagues. “That is when the second connection with Ram Mohan came to be,” she exclaimed. Mohan gave NID’s students opportunities to learn, and at times gave them food as well as a place to stay, she revealed. “He is known as the father of Indian animation, but he was also a godfather to a lot of our students. The synergy he created between education and industry, is his legacy.”
Shroff and Kulkarni expressed their gratitude to Mohan, for his contribution to the Indian animation industry, and congratulated Sabnani on this momentous occasion.
Mohan’s wife Sheila Rao, who is usually always present at Ann Awards, could not grace the ceremony this year since she is recovering from fracture.
Animation and More (AM) Summit is the biggest gathering of the animation industry, celebrating the unstoppable growth of the sector. AM Summit 2024 took place on 3 and 4 September at the NESCO Exhibition Centre in Mumbai. The second day of the summit was followed by Ann Awards – the prestigious accolades that recognise the brilliant creative minds of the Indian animation industry.
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AM Summit 2024: Drawing masterclass, Garfield movie making-of and other highlights from Day 1
AM Summit ’24: Creation of Lego worlds, animation in ‘Chamkila’ and more highlights from Day 2