Jungle jungle baat chali hai pata chala hai… rings a bell, right?
This iconic line, from the massively successful Mowgli is still etched in our minds.
The Indian audience has always been a fan of animation- be it movies, ads or games. And it is not just
limited to kids, but even teenagers and adults alike. Coupled with ever-expanding innovations in
technological and animation tools, the Indian Animation scene is undergoing a massive
transformation.
Initially, people in our country were unable to value the presence of 2D Animation, a problem that
even Animax couldn’t address. With the increasing availability of the Internet, this scenario
is changing, and people are soon getting to know the world of animation closely. Let’s look at how this industry is booming up in the country.
YouTubers
YouTube has helped anime come out of hiding and with the advent of Anime Youtubers like Pokeverse X and Screenpoint, the Anime scene is through the roof. Foreign collaborations with fellow YouTubers and studios are steadily increasing the quality and quantity of anime content. They propagate anime-related news, reviews and the attract the Indian audience.
Petitions and Fan Clubs
Fan clubs and Communities like Otakunadu and Anime_talks are making the Indian anime scene
firm. #IndiaWantsAnime was the hashtag that introduced anime to the netizens in our country. A proud moment for the Indian anime community and Indian films is that the Japanese Film Industry knows of our
wholehearted acceptance and love for this, due to the massive success of Makoto Shinkai’s 2019 hit
‘Tenki No Ko’. Also, a petition has been accepted to screen Demon Slayer-Kimetsu no Yaiba-the
Movie:Mugen Train in PVR Cinemas which will increase the foothold of this field and get fans
together.
OTT Platform Recognition
Anime has also hit jackpot with OTT platforms who know that this is a huge opportunity, especially
due to the ongoing pandemic. Netflix also releases original Anime content which increases the number of footfalls. Amazon Prime too has ventured out into the field now.
Local Language Dubs
Youngsters in the country are crazy behind anime dubbed in local languages. For example, a
dubbed version of Sacred Games was enjoyed thoroughly by the youth of our country.
Studio Durga
The first animation studio to create 2 D hand-drawn animation with absolutely no foreign
collaboration, shared news on all social media platforms in 2020, of its first full feature-length
episode of Karmachakra being complete. Though its release date is yet to be announced, this itself is
a major step in the acceptance of this medium as an art form.
Japanese Film Festival and Events
Japan is very proud of its anime culture; they propagate many events to popularize it- movie
screenings with traditional ceremonies, cosplays and the like to help in raising awareness about the same. Similar festivals are conducted in our country too, like Cosplay Walk-in Bengaluru and Japan
Utsav in Kolkata, which raises cultural awareness. AniCons and ComiCons are also getting attention
as well and Anime Merchandise is becoming supremely popular with ComicSense and other
companies doing profitable businesses.
However, there are still some reasons that plague the process of realizing this industry’s full potential. Though it has come a long way, it will only gain more acceptance if Indian Entertainment Companies were to come forward and support them. Moreover, Indian viewers prefer watching old hits such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana in anime which forces new content in this medium of entertainment to take a backseat.
The Indian government is opposed to giving freedom to create as it can backfire easily. Though popular in our country, a sizeable population does not want to pay to watch anime. Websites like gogoanime and VPN give free anime content but the money goes to sources that are anonymous. The Anime world will still take a while to pick up in our country although the fandom is being picked up at a rapid pace.
