Veteran Animation Film Designer Dhimant Vyas On How Indian Animation Industry Is Competing Globally

Dhimant Vyas,  a veteran Animation Film Designer, and Artist, is a versatile artist working with different art mediums like Painting, Animation, Sculpture, Photography, Design, etc. His previous work includes the title animation sequence for the highly acclaimed Hindi feature film 'Taare Zameen Par', which was directed by Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, Mirzya by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, sculpture work for the film Bahubali, etc.

He has worked with brands like BBC, UNICEF, MTV, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon, to name just a few. His work for Taare Zameen Par, Happy Planet, Cute Bunny, MTV promos, and his photography have won him several national and international awards.

In this interview, he talks about his recent exhibition, where Indian Animation Industry at the global stage and challenges in animation

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. Let’s start by talking about your current exhibition. How and when did this idea come to mind?
The idea for this exhibition came to me a long time back. In 2013, I conducted an exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery for the very first time. It turned out to be a huge success. Around that time, my daughter Kavya Vyas was doing a professional course on painting in Rachna Sansad. It was a five-year-long course. At that time, I had this wish of putting up an exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery with my daughter someday. Jehangir Art Gallery is one of the most prestigious art galleries in India. We prepared for this exhibition for a very long time. My art series, which was called ‘Natura’ was based on Indian folk art that has been around since 1996. You will see the influence of folk art from different countries like India, America, Egypt, and others in this series.

I grew up in a village near Kutch. That’s why I have been hugely inspired by folk art. I have also had a very strong connection with nature. My daughter Kavya is greatly interested in underwater species. From a very young age, she was deeply attached to animals and got us to have aquariums at home. She has done a series on fishes. There is a philosophical thought behind it represented by vivid colours and designs. 

Q. Do you think Indian animation industry is now competing globally? Why?

Years back, I graduated from the National Institute of Design (NID). I did a course in animation design. I got the opportunity to work on several projects in the film industry as well. I had a great time working under the vision of Aamir Khan in Taare Zameen Par. I was invited by a top animation studio in the UK around that time. I worked with them on a bunch of projects including Shaun the Sheep and Purple and Brown. A feature film was made on Shaun and Sheep as well. They made a character based on me in that film. In the year 2015, the film was nominated for the Oscars. I did the paintings for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Mirzya. We designed several big murals for that film. I made a few sculptures for 'Baahubali The Beginning'.

A sculpture that I had made for Rana Daggubati’s character was digitized and used in the film. I did a sand animation project for the Rajasthan government. I have done a lot of work in the animation industry. At the same time, I have also made sculptures, put together paintings, and done a lot of other artistic work. I have been fortunate enough to get the opportunity to explore different art forms. There are certain limitations in live action. However, when it comes to animation, you can give wings to your imagination and make every thought come to life.

 Q. What are the challenges you face during animation?

When you are in love with a medium, no challenge will be big enough for you. If you are passionate about something, you will be able to get over any hurdle you face. I have specialized in stop-motion technology. It is considered to be the most difficult medium. It is a very laborious process. To get 3-4 minutes of output, you have to spend several hours.

Q. Let’s talk about your Hollywood journey. How and when did it all start and what projects you did so far?

I started out with advertising. I joined Rammohan Biographics as a key animator. It was one of the biggest names in the advertising industry. After that, I worked in several other studios. I worked with Toons Animation in Trivandrum for some time. One of my most memorable working experiences has been with Aamir Khan. He is very creative and gives a lot of freedom to his collaborators. Apart from being an evolved artist, he is a wonderful human being as well. Taare Zameen Par was the first-ever Indian film in which stop-motion animation was used. For a three-minute-long animated sequence, we did pre-production work for a month and a half.

Q. How important was this international exposure for you as an animation designer?

Working on international projects gave me exposure to the advanced techniques and procedures being used in the animation industry. In India, there is no dearth of talent but sometimes, we don’t get the right exposure or resources. Internationally, I got the opportunity to work with several reputed names like Nick Park and Peter Lord. I used the exposure I got in the international market to further the growth of the animation industry in India. One major difference between India and abroad is that here the filmmakers are not easily approachable. But in the west, filmmakers keep looking to collaborate with new talent all the time. Nobody has any ego issues. Even the ones who have won an Oscar are extremely humble and down-to-earth. I think that is one thing we need to correct here. We need to ensure that talented people get the right opportunities.

Q. What next?
Soon, my focus would be on making some short films. I have many exciting ideas that are waiting to be translated onto the screen. I am in the process of converting some of my paintings into animated form. I am also trying to integrate emboss technique into my art form. I want to make animation films that would highlight the issues that our environment is dealing with.