“The need of the day is to tell and write authentic stories.”
At FICCI Frames 2023, director and creative producer Saraswathi Vani Balgam conducted a masterclass on “India’s creative revolution: a new era of storytelling.” She said that India is filled with great stories and amazing flavours. “Every state, every folklore has something very, very unique to offer. And that has not been tapped to the extent that it should be tapped.”
Balgam explained that when it comes to skill development in the fields of animation and visual effects, the most important thing – storytelling – is missing. She feels that India has given an immense amount of depth and strength to training in animation, storyboarding etc. but not not invested in its talent. “We have trained them to do the work that’s coming to us, but not trained them to become storytellers.”
Dancing Atoms – the creative studio that she has founded – believes in investing in the artist and in the story. Giving the example of Peter Jackson and characters created by James Cameron, Balgam said that we need to trust in one character, invest in it and build an entire ecosystem around it. “We have so many stories here [in India] but very few travel to the international film festivals.” She urged studios, training institutes and filmmakers to invest in artists, talent and storytelling. “If an artist is taken care of, that artist stays. And if that artist stays, that artist is invested in you. And if that artist is invested in you, then they are going to create.”
Talking about Despicable Me and Minions series, Balgam highlighted that cartoons are not only for children. These films have done wonderful in terms of box office but have also become major franchises, and India is yet to do something huge of this kind in the animation space. “In terms of merchandising, in terms of other added values, India has a long way to go. So we have to figure out how we are going to be part of this bigger global market.”
“The time is now, because we have the talent, we have the technology, we have the understanding, and the markets have opened up,” Balgam said. “The future of India is nothing but storytelling. The Indian talent is shining, and the opportunities need to be given to them. India will become, and continue to be the powerhouse [of content].”