Pakistan’s animation industry has been slowly gaining the spotlight it deserves, through their humble beginnings from animated cartoons like our childhood classics, Commander Safeguard and later on Burka Avenger.
Animation Studios in Pakistan, are undergoing a gradual renaissance of sorts, though much needs to be covered in the long haul to cement the spotlight. Here in this blog, we’ll ponder over some of Pakistan’s thriving animation studios.
The Recent Classics – Insights from the PIFF
In celebration of much of Pakistani animation studio’s efforts and classics, the Pakistani International Film Festival (PIFF) featured the recent classics from Talisman Animation Studio such as The Donkey King, Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor, Quaid Say Baatein, 3 Bahadur (Three Braves).
Pakistani animation studios have shown much tremendous progress and have begot some marvellous children and family-friendly animation films, focusing on family, culture and national identity, social aspects and of course what animations strive for…. The celebration of nature and human life.
The Pakistani animation studios that churned out such animated films and series follow relatively similar graphics design and animation tools as the other. This is unprecedented for the Pakistani film industry as something being more of a fresh content in light of the typical drama serials and movies.
Though staunch critics have pointed out genericity and subtle political messages across animated films such as The Donkey King from Talisman Animations or Quaid Say Baatein from Wakhra Studios. Though, it seems to be an exception amongst the other in its political message.
Donkey King, has whatsoever grossed Rs. 250mn/- at the box office and proven to be very lucrative for Talisman animation. Content relayed has been said to be key factor that not only engaged children but attempted to “democratise animation genres”, as the founder, Aziz Jindani adds.
Nouveau Artiste (New Artists) – Newcomers and Innovators
Like Usman Riaz’s animation are enticing and alluring for many Japanese anime subculture enthusiasts in Pakistan.
Surely, the idea of a Pakistani version of the Grave of Fireflies sounds engaging to most teens in the country. Usman Riaz’s Glassworker reflects some of the new styles that are prevailing in the silent transformation of Pakistan’s animation studio which is relatively almost unbeknownst to the country’s older population segments and early Millennials. Mano Animation, which Usman Riaz runs, is fashioning a desi Ghibli film centered around a glass worker apprentice and a violinist virtuoso; featuring a love story. It appears that Ghibli Esque animation styles are also finding their way through the new animation studios in Pakistan.
Challenges and Making the most of Available Resources
Acquiring proper training and resources to make hand drawn animations is tedious and as Usman Riaz adds requires enduring commitment in a resource-scarce industry. Training and skill set development remains an unprecedented challenge for some beginning their careers across animation studios in Pakistan.
Though, the thriving atmosphere as evident from the PiFF 2019 suggests that skilled animators are setting up shops across the country and have been leveraging their connections in the developed world economies to establish a certain footing.
Jindani, founder of Talisman Studios also notes that various animation projects face challenges other than just technicalities and resources for animation studios in Pakistan. He says: “At the end of the day, it’s about storytelling and appeal. As people closely associated with the medium worldwide often point out; animation is perhaps more dependent on talent than other media and graphic lines of work.”
Cinema and media have been facing economic crunches, where salaries have become less competitive and meagre against other professions. This has proven detrimental to certain studios, impacting the thriving atmosphere evident in the last decade across animation studios in Pakistan.
What to Expect for the Future of Pakistani Animation?
The future holds much promise for the artisans across animation studios in Pakistan, in that new as well as classical hand-drawn animation is gaining popularity owing to its aesthetical touch. Though, by scale 3D animations with tailored content for children and their families has been of much value to the Pakistani taste, and shall continue to grow.
