InDepth Insight: Shaktimaan series in Animation – A unique model for co-production of IP

What were challenges and learning’s in bringing the iconic character of Shaktimaan to the animation medium?

The challenge is always tougher when an already iconic property in a certain medium gets converted in another medium. The comparisons are natural. Specially with a property like Shaktimaan which was originally developed by Mr. Mukesh Khanna and Mr. Dinkar Jani in live action that has ruled the kid’s programming content in our country for more than a decade and was positioned by Mr. Akshay Vyas the then Vice President of Viking on Doordarshan. So while picking up an already successful property has its advantage in terms of instant brand recall it also poses greater challenges in justifying the brand in its new avatar.

From the very onset, Shaktimaan in animation was positioned with two distinct aspects in mind as its differentiator – “Cyber” and “Yoga”. The world knows India for its cyber geniuses and Yogic gurus. So Shaktimaan in his new avatar was to become a combination of both, a cyber geek Veehan Arya as the alter ego and Shaktimaan who derives his powers from Yogic practices. The earlier set up of Shaktimaan catered to an audience when exposure to super heroes or animation content for that matter was pretty much limited for the Indian audience. But this time, we are catering to an audience who has grown up on quality international animation content since their very childhood with a much-refined sense of narrative style. Hence except for three characters – Shaktimaan, his archrival Kilvish and the evil scientist Dr. Jakol, every character and element of the series is new. Shaktimaan as his alter ego Veehan Arya is a young software student in Indus University under the guidance of eccentric but genius Professor Gyani working on cyber securities. Veehan has his crush on Leena the electrifying journalism student form the same university. Her kid brother Chikoo is a die-hard Shaktimaan fan. Bumpy, Veehan’s roommate, General D’Goze who funds the cyber security research for Professor Gyani, the comic cowardly ACP of Indus City and Tick & Tock the henchmen of the main villain of the series Kilvish adds to the comic flavor of the narrative. And to top it all Shaktimaan with his limitless yogic powers battles ruthless monsters and destructive situations created by Kilvish and Dr. Jakol to bring end to an era of darkness. So Shaktimaan’s positioning is as a “Cyber Yogic Hero” who is also the best friend for all the kids.

How did the series evolved from live action to animation?
It took almost 10 years since the first discussion regarding turning Shaktimaan into animation took place with Mr. Mukesh Khanna. Animation properties by nature take time, specially in the case of legendary heroes. This time we were trying to recreate India’s most successful superhero in live action into animation and the responsibility was tremendous. The beauty of animation is that it lends its successful character brands almost a status of immortality since they never age and animation as a medium always appeal to kids all over the world over the years as we have witnessed with so many other successful global character brands. We knew that on one hand the generation who had grown up on the original Shaktimaan series would love to watch it in its new avatar and at the same time the kids of today’s generation would want it to be as per their taste. And then we also wanted the series to appeal to international audience. It took more than one and half years to put together Shaktimaan with a balanced approach. Since the content predominantly originates with Indian roots we wanted to maintain that aspect in a subtle yet universally accepted manner.

maintain that aspect in a subtle yet universally accepted manner. Starting from the naming convention it was followed thoroughly throughout the process flow. Hence we find Shaktimaan’s cyber geek alter ego named as Veehan (meaning – the first morning light) Arya (the descendants of the Aryans). Even the naming of the key location for the series “Indus City” followed similar balanced approach. Just to finalise these two names must have taken atleast six months of research and debate. Every element of the series – Veehan’s back story, the seven wise gurus who resemble our “Saptarshi Mandal”, the yogic powers of Shaktimaan – the core source being awakening the power centers in our own body – the kundalinis and the seven chakras, everything had to be researched and then aligned as part of a narrative that will be modern, apt for today’s time and yet having the essence of the Indian philosophies that have transcended over the centuries. The narrative dabbles with high-octane action, hilarious comedy and gripping emotions catapulting Shaktimaan as the greatest Cyber Yogic Hero the world has ever seen. Every threat, every demon, every crisis that Shaktimaan faces is larger than life creating a huge canvas for an animation IP for television originating from India. Just the way kids have gotten hooked to the series already, even the greatest fans of original live action Shaktimaan has also expressed their wholehearted support towards the new avatar. The same is true with even Mr. Mukesh Khanna and Mr. Dinkar Jani. They too have found Shaktimaan in animation absolutely stunning and engrossing. Now our aim is to carry on with the series season after season to entertain the audience with their favorite super hero Shaktimaan.

Why did you select flash animation?

Flash animation brings down the cost significantly, which is essential when you are creating a property for broadcasting. Secondly it has a unique storyboard/comic book kind of a feel and with the teams in India evolving to deliver world class flash animation using the strengths of the tools like photoshop, flash and after effects to its best, one can display and create an unparallel illusion which can match any form of storytelling. Specially when you have a director of the show who can do the greatest justice to these three tools, it becomes the most natural choice.

What kind of preproduction went into the series?
The unprecedented production deadlines were possible to meet only because the preproduction of the series was done so thoroughly since the very onset. It took us almost a year and half in the preproduction. The greatest challenge was to decide how should one plot such an immensely popular content Shaktimaan into animation for today’s kids and also for an entire generation of audience who will surely watch it for its nostalgic value. The story ideas were thoroughly researched trying to keep them relevant from Indian context and globally relatable as well. The next challenge was to design Shaktimaan in a manner so that he gets accepted both in India and internationally.Similar thoughts prevaile while deciding on the design style that should suit both the tastes.

The set up was kept neutral with the similar perspective in mind and the backgrounds – a thoroughly researched futuristic Asian city with an international touch as the key location of the series – Indus City. The colors were chosen in a manner so that the look and feel by itself can stand out as a differentiator for the series even on a global scale. The animatics were drawn with such thoroughness that they were nothing short of international standards. The voice dubbing was done in New York with English as the primary language to be dubbed later into Indian regional languages. Background music with sinc / non sinc sound effects was done on animatics itself with final edit and the package was thereafter forwarded for production with nothing left for imagination. It was this utmost precision in preproduction that helped the animation production of the series getting done in less than 4 months with 10 different studios across the country working on it simultaneously, which was nothing short of a miracle really. But then, if the pre-production planning is perfect, even miracles can become successful reality, as proven by Shaktimaan series.

What kind of music has been given to the series?

The music is contemporary, trendy, pacy with a canvas nothing short of a feature film. The music of Shaktimaan is one of its greatest USP’s which has lend the series a magnum canvas even though it’s made for television. The recordings are done at Chennai, a commendable job considering that the original score for the last 10 episodes were done in exact 10 days including all final sinc and non sinc sound effects. Yet when you listen, they are original scores and the scale is nothing short of a feature film.

What kind of response and feedback have you received for the series so far?

Well we won the “Best Animated Episode” at FICCI BAF for the series this year. It is undoubtedly the finest 2D animated series on Indian broadcasting. As for the viewer’s, the response is phenomenal. Not just the kids, but even grown ups are getting hooked with the story, narrative and the characters.

Thrilling storylines, gripping scripts, excellent animation, amazing color schemes, superlative music – everything put together as a package has given the audience a wholesome experience of viewing satisfaction with quality written all over. The most satisfying experience for us is to have so many people calling up, mailing us and congratulating for creating such a quality content for Indian broadcasting with Indian sensibilities and yet with an international edge. We are extremely confident of the success of the series both in India and abroad.

What are the future plans for this property?

Going forward we are already producing the second season of next 13 episodes of Shaktimaan. We see this property will now be marketed internationally. At the same time hopefully in the next 5 years we will have over 150 – 200 episodes done.

What was the overall production budget of the series?

I wish I knew it. An Indian Superhero is PRICELESS.

Mukesh Khanna Speaks:

I have been talking with Ashish since last 10 years at least from the time he first approached me with a proposition to turn Shaktimaan into animation. Over the years I have seen him producing outstanding content like “Little Krishna” and his upcoming feature film Krishna Aur Kans”. The way he and his team at Reliance Animation have taken Indian Animation to true global heights, I was very sure that no one else would be able to do justice to my creation better than them. And they have proved me right.

Shaktimaan in animation is nothing short of magic. When you watch it, the first reaction that comes is “ wow, is this really done in India?”, the quality is so awesome. We have discussed endlessly on the property and its

transformation for the modern audience and what has finally come out of it looks absolutely international and yet retaining the core Indian sensibilities. It has retained all the right elements of Shaktimaan and yet has given it a facelift for the modern day kids.

I think this series has given Shaktimaan a status of immortality since that is the beauty of animation. And now with the series coming on NICK, kids of our country will get a much better opportunity to watch their favorite hero in action. Since animation lends a platform where sky is the limit for creative ideas, the scale that has been given to Shaktimaan is enormous, something we always wanted to try in live action but for natural reasons you have certain boundaries. But I am so glad to see that the canvas of Shaktimaan in animation is like a feature film for every episode with so much of action and comedy. Do watch it, it’s amazing. I am so proud as an Indian that we could create such a quality content from India with our own Indian superhero in animation and show the world what we are capable of doing.

N.R. Panicker, Chairman, Accel Animation Studio (Co-Producer of Shaktimaan Series in animation – 1st Season) Shaktimaan has been a very successful live action property for over ten years. It was an idea by Reliance Animation to produce it in an animated format. It is a co-production agreement wherein both our companies will produce this property. It will have a Hindi version and it will be produced as an international property as well. Reliance Animation will be providing the pre-production and post-production support and Accel Animation will be providing the production support from Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram. We believe there will be a major revenue stream coming from the property.Having ventured into IP creation on our own, this uniquely evolved coproduction module within Indian studios and having a broadcaster on board from day one is the beginning of a new era for Indian animation.Sanjay Kommera, Chairman & CEO of Magic N Colors (Co-Producer of Shaktimaan Series in animation – 2nd Season)Joining hands with Reliance Animation for Shaktimaan Animation series is the right deal at the right time for us. We definitely need a super hero from India in animation and Shaktimaan fits in there perfectly. There is no better product than Shaktimaan to fill that space. Getting associated with a product like Shaktimaan and an organization like Reliance Animation would position my company in a different league of companies focusing on international quality productions. I am completely in favor for effective coproduction’s since it will generate adequate investment in the property ensuring better quality, which on a long-term scenario will position the industry strongly in the international market. With better products, better exposure and wider distribution, effective co-productions would certainly create a very positive environment for our Indian Animation Industry. With more companies getting into coproduction towards original IP creation with shared risk, it will slowly and gradually drift away the outsourcing mind frame and would provide opportunities of international co-productions as well in the future.” The Core Team Speaks: Vikram Veturi – Director This is Shaktimaan in a completely new avatar created for today’s audience with an international edge in terms of story ideas and stylization of the show, positioning the iconic character in the same genre of its international counterparts. We were aware of the responsibility that’s been bestowed upon us while handling such an immensely successful character icon and at every stage of execution we have tried to put in our best to honor that. The scripts were great which gave a huge boost to the team and as a process we ensured that we would take a no compromise attitude towards the show. We had invested huge energy in the preproduction, storyboarding and the animatic process ensuring that the show gets made at that level itself leaving the process of animation only for quality execution. With a great team to back me up we had simplified the entire process and execution styles in a manner that it will touch a cord with our target audience and will yet position the show as the best 2D show that India has produced till date. That was our goal and that’s what kept us focused in meeting deadlines no one ever believed we could. With 10 studios across the country working on the show with countless reviews and approvals lined up round the clock – every day for six months at a stretch, there was never a delay in the process and every one held their nerves and has shown their real mettle. It would never have been possible without the wholehearted support and co-operation from the studios we worked with and our entire team at Reliance Animation. We attempted an impossible task and created a miracle. I am sure the next 13 episodes will be even more stunning now that we have learned from the earlier ones, even smarter approaches towards creating quality output. Dhrubo Banerjee – Content Creator & Story Editor Developing the core content, the story premise, the characters, the episodic story ideas, the bible, and the scripts of Shaktimaan in animation was a whooping 8 fold agenda. To start with, its iconic status in live action with a huge fan base, a generation having grown up on the content with their expectations from the animated avatar. Second, expectations from the present generation as our target audience having grown up on finest animated content on various kid’s channels. Third, the need for an international neutral perspective since we all understand that to create a show of great quality one needs to explore a much wider distribution possibility to accommodate return on investment. Fourth, expectations and specifications from our broadcaster, which is quiet natural since they had trusted and supported us all along. Fifth, expectations of Mr. Mukesh Khanna for he is the original creator of the content and to accept the facelift and a complete makeover that the show demanded proved his understanding and attachment with the evolving audience. Sixth, accommodating our script writer Mr. Jeffrey Scott’s perspective towards the show vis a vis our views of positioning a content with an international perspective yet maintaining Indian sensibility, roots and values. Seventh, specifications that Ashish had in mind as the producer of the show lending it the Yogic and Cyber angle and finally understanding what the director of the show Vikram wanted from his perspective of execution. In the end, to see a cheerful team buoyant on its success is an amazing feeling of satisfaction considering the manner the content has finally shaped up where every single aspect as expected from every quarter has been addressed and yet no compromise has been made at any level of content creation or script development. When you look at the series, every episodic story looks like a feature film concept told in a 22 mins. format – that’s is the scale we have given to it.” Vinayak Krishna Kurne – Art Director We took simplicity as our key mantra and started designing the show. The character designs were considered as the base and everything got developed around them. The kind of environment that should be assigned to each character, the color keys that should follow – nothing was developed in isolation but as an extension of the characters in the show. For example, while the cyber security lab of professor Gyani where Veehan aka Shaktimaan takes up the job of a lab assistant is all wired up and messy since we needed to have lots of comic elements happening in that zone as per the script, in direct contrast – Kilvish’s layer is wireless and gives a fearsome impact supporting the character of Kilvish and his evil plans where anybody who enters can feel his malicious coldhearted darkness. Color palettes for the characters were also planned accordingly, like for Shaktimaan we had assigned a warm red that will signify light, for Professor Gyani its subtle aquamarine for he is not a flamboyant character and for Kilvish its dark purple creating a poisonous feel which blends into darkness. Creating a fusion of Indian as well as international elements in the designs which in totality will evolve into a neutral form was also an exiting challenge, and yet the Indian aspects are so carefully embedded that the global audience will surely find it interesting as a blend that is close to them and yet different. Varaprasad JV. – Editor, Music Director & Sound Designer In animation postproduction it is vital that the editor and the director can see the final film on animatic table itself. One needs to pre-visualise the final flow, get the timing correct for every shot and not leave anything for later because even a second’s lag in the animatic will come back after animation for correction demanding further edit. As a practice we designed sound on animatic itself with such detailing that it could be easily passed on as the final composition. A further round of edit follow with the music to get the timing even more accurate till we had the animatic so ready and complete that when its played, you feel as if you are watching the final episode with complete impact and every precision in place. Buy the time it reaches the studios for animation, nothing is left for imagination. We have designed the music of the show just the way one would design for a feature film. The scripts were so grand, the visualizations so inspiring that music had to compliment the scale and today it has to all of our satisfaction emerged as one of the key USP’s of the series. Predominantly because we ourselves have enjoyed so much of the roaring comedy and the intense action sequences of the series that composing and sound designing for it was nothing sort of a pleasure in itself. 80% of the music was composed in-house and the rest was recorded live in Chennai with some of the best musicians there. Mervin Matthew Pillai has been a great hand to share the responsibility and bring in his composition skills as well. Towards the end, we had to finish the final music of the last few episodes at an average one day per episode timeline and yet the music sounds uncompromised lending itself the scale and grandeur of a feature film. The entire mixing of the music was done in-house giving us the liberty for any final level corrections that was needed. Even the online editing was done in-house on smoke with final deliveries being taken care of. This was possibly the toughest project we have handled till date with insane deadlines and yet a no compromise attitude towards quality and in the end it was all a great fun to see the audience getting gripped and hooked with every episode and asking for more. What more can a professional expect when his work is appreciated by the audience in the end! I am sure once the Shaktimaan theme song is released, the entire nation will sing to its tune. Anand Pandey – Line Producer The structure of data flow and communication are two critical aspects of any production management. On a weak pipeline the errors can slowdown the production drastically, even though everyone is working on the same floor. But here we had a challenge of delivery while working and co-coordinating with 10 studios from different cities, most of them working for the first time with us.  So we had to design the data flow system between multiple studios to ensure error free data and communication flow. Maintaining the review process across 10 studios by using the latest yet economically available technology platforms, compiling the data from multiple studios while they are working on different stages of the same episode was not easy. The pipeline helped to process the data real time and comprehensive reports could be generated anytime to track the production. The production management team was well aware that delay in any sort of communication would surely result in delay of production output. Hence we integrated all the basic yet latest available tools like excel, Skype, Google+, Youtube etc into the pipeline and eliminated the communication delays like reviews, approval signoffs & centralized asset updation. And we had to do it all with a team mostly comprising of freshly trained students from BIG AIMS who proved themselves to be the real assets with surprising abilities of crisis management.”

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