Animated films have come a long way over the years with technological advancements as well as proper promotions have paved the way for some animated masterpieces over the years.
In the midst of such transition, “Mangal – The Holy Beast,” a feature film by Indian animator Triparna Maiti, has been chosen for the Busan Asian Project Market. Through animation, the film raises awareness of the predicament of captive elephants.
It chronicles the life of Mangal, an orphaned elephant calf raised in a circus, forced to work as a logger, and eventually raised as a temple elephant. The movie examines issues of animal rights, imprisonment, and the psychology of imprisoned elephants via Mangal’s journey.
The movie is now in development, with an approximate $1.3 million budget. After receiving seed money from Moksha Pictures, the group is currently looking for more funding sources including co-productions and individual contributions.
The film is alsoa part of India’s NFDC Screenwriters Lab, has taken part in the MIFA Pitches at Annecy, and is on its way to Seattle’s Tasveer Film Market. The group intends to start production in second quarter of 2025 and finish by the end of 2026.
After seeing caged elephants in Kerala, southern India, Maiti decided to write about this topic. The irony that such strong creatures might be restricted to human training upset the filmmaker. It is an essential step in the evolvement of animated films in India and would definitely benefit young animators and editors in the upcoming future.