The Ambitious Animator: Tejonidhi Bhandare, CEO, Reliance Animation Established in the year 2005 as an IP Company under Reliance Group, Reliance Animation began its journey with Little Krishna, a TV Series

It's impossible to explain creativity. It's like asking a bird, 'How do you fly?' You just do," once said the American author, Eric Jerome Dickey. For a good 15 years and counting, Tejonidhi Bhandare is not explaining what is creativity, rather; he and his team are bringing to screens, big or small, their creative productions. Established in the year 2005 as an IP Company under Reliance Group, Reliance Animation began its journey with Little Krishna, a TV Series. So, what is a deciding factor when green lighting a project?

"Our influences come from a vast array of sources, including literature, scientific research, philosophy, and even stories of the general public that are found in the public domain," shares Tejonidhi Bhandare, CEO, Reliance Animation.

The studio has partnered with Rohit Shetty to bring out IPs based on the latter's successful franchises such as Little Singham, Golmaal Jr., and Smashing Simmba. Is there a magic formula that increases the odds of a creative breakthrough at Reliance Animation? "The right magic is in the development of the shows with the right mix of creative, techno, and commercial talent," he shares. With India's animation and VFX industry being valued at around INR 114 billion in 2023, there still exists gaps and a lack of awareness about skills and opportunities. "The key is to understand that we are part of the Media & Entertainment Industry and not the Animation & Visual Effects Industry. I always say that to be successful in this sector, one needs to adhere to the 3 P's – Patience, Passion and Perseverance," he adds.

So, how does the CEO see the animation industry evolving? "We are seeing a rise in consumers in different age groups and see a lot of demand coming from young adults. Artificial Intelligence seems to be a challenge, not a threat but I am sure that AI cannot take over Creative Intelligence."

Notably, its Little Singham 3D Tele-Film "Bahubali Friends - Rise of Aparshatru" was selected for screening at the 54th International Film Festival of India. "Apart from our continuous development of kid's content, we are working on shows for young adults including something in Anime style," he concludes.

Factsheet:

Number of people employed: about 500

Year of Inception: 2005