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on 2008/2/5 23:39:11
The first full-length animation film in Malayalam will be released in November, according to its promoters.
Manikantan, based on the myth of Lord Ayyappa , the presiding deity of the Sabarimala hill shrine, will also be simultaneously released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.
“The film has a budget of $2mn and there will be eight songs,” Nalin Singh, the managing director of the Sairaksha Entertainment, the makers of the film, said.
Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja has just completed scoring music for the 90-minute film. The music album will be released on April 14 at Sabarimala.
“We have also planned an English version of the film six months after the original release,” Singh said.
“Now there is a lot of hype about Indian films abroad. But how many non-Indians come to watch them? We want to change that. There is a lot of interest in whatever Indian now because of India growth story,” he said.
Reji Syne, the film’s director, said Manikantan would perhaps be the first of its kind to use as many as eight different animation techniques, each style blending harmoniously.
The profits from the film will go to fund an arts village for handicapped people in Thiruvananthapuram and sponsoring amenities for Sabarimala pilgrims, including accident insurance cover for all.
Supporting the core team is an advisory board which consists of members from countries like the US, Australia and Indonesia to provide expertise on technical, marketing, governance and branding.
“Brand Kerala is already making its mark through its expatriate population and excellent tourism initiatives. This movie will bring a third dimension in the form of promoting Kerala’s art forms and culture across the globe,” Sachin Gopalan, a non-resident Indian running media companies in Indonesia said.
“The commercial potential of Manikantan is tremendous. In addition the values and appeal of the tale are universal and will get eager audiences globally,” said another director of the company, Mark Samlal, an Australian living in Singapore.
“The tale of Manikantan is comparable to many legends of the West and we will present it in a manner that will appeal to audiences worldwide and will be a universal draw for children everywhere,” the US-based Allan Koglmeier said.
