[4] He trained a core group of Indian animators, whose first production was a film called The Banyan Deer (1957).
Veteran animator Ram Mohan started his career at Films Division's Cartoon Unit.
[5][6] The film is presented as a fable meant to teach children the value of unity, and was frequently broadcast on India's state-run television station, Doordarshan.
The first Indian animated television series was Ghayab Aaya, which aired in 1986 and was directed by Suddhasattwa Basu.
Precursors to modern animation such as shadow puppets and slide shows entertained audiences before the advent of the cinema.
Mahadeo Gopal Patwardhan and his sons were responsible for popularising the medium across parts of India in the late 19th century.
The slides depicted various tales from the Ramayana, Sita Swayamvar, Mahabharata, Sati Anasuya, Raja Harishchandra, Shekhar Dashratha, and the circus.
His 1912 short The Growth of a Pea Plant introduced the concept of time-lapse photography,[14] with one frame shot per day.
Phalke was forced into making shorter works such as cartoons and documentaries since the war in Europe had slowed imports, including film.
[10] Other shorts from the period include Bakam Bhatt by Kolapur Cinetoons, Lafanga Langoor (1935) by Mohan Bhavani, Superman's Myth (1939) by G.K. Ghokhle, and Akash Pataal (1939) by Mandar Malik.
[10] The shortage of raw film stock due to the Second World War may have caused filmmakers to choose animation as a medium.
Media & Entertainment Association of India (MEAI) is an active body promoting the Indian AVGC industry.
[25] The Indian animation industry is being tapped largely by North American film and television producers.
When compared to the past, the Indian animation industry has gained its foothold in the international space by investing more in technology, moulding eminent artists and developing better infrastructure in film-making.
Currently, there are numerous animation studios, VFX, game development, and film-making institutes providing several high-end educational programmes all over India.
[27] Mumbai, Chennai, Trivandrum, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Bangalore are major hubs for animation studios in the country.