India's animated feature industry is alive and thriving. In 2005 filmgoers went crazy for the animated feature Jai Hanuman. After this record success, many Indian companies are trying to get in on the action.

In 2005, an animated feature called Jai Hanuman hit theaters in India and set the animated feature industry on fire. Children and families went crazy for this film and, following its record success, many Indian companies have been trying to get in on the action -- but it's not so easy. Connecting with India's billion-plus audience is a big challenge since the Indian market is so diverse. India has 28 states and seven territories, plus each state has its own language and dialects. The challenges are not only cultural; there are business hurdles to clear as well. Distribution is difficult unless you have major Bollywood stars as your voice-talent. Licensing and merchandising are in their infancy, although they show great potential. Piracy is also a concern.

Everyone I know in India has been talking about animated features and has been working on one in some capacity, so I checked in with my colleagues to see what they could share on this topic. Please meet:

• Elizabeth Koshy, chief executive officer, Animation Dimensions LLA;
  
• Simi Nallaseth, creative director and animation head of Epiphany Films. She is the director and cowriter of the English script for a feature called Dream Blanket and also served as an animator on Ice Age;
  
• Kireet Khurana, director of animation, 2nz Animation Co.;
  
• Munjal Shroff, chief operating officer, Graphiti Multimedia, Pvt. Ltd.;
  
• Ashish S. Kulkarni, chief executive officer of Anirights Infomedia Pvt. Ltd.

Lisa Goldman: Why did Jai Hanuman strike such a chord with its audience?

Simi Nallaseth: In 2005, after a spell of really bad animated films, Jai Hanuman hit the theatres. It had tolerable 2D animation, a cute baby god named Hanuman who grabbed the hearts of kids, plus the film had a catchy song. Indians are mad about their mythology and gods, especially Hanuman, a superhero god. So Lord Hanuman has opened the doors for all of us and made some Bollywood producers take notice of animation.

Action Hero BC is the working title for a new Graphiti animated feature film that is being planned now. © Graphiti Multimedia Pvt. Ltd.

Ashish S. Kulkarni: The character icons from the Indian heritage are unique and extremely strong in the minds of Indian people. These Indian heritage icons have survived for more than 5,000 years because their stories have passed down from generation to generation through verbal storytelling. They are an extremely strong character brand. These stories can be expressed through animation. It also gives us an edge to design these stories in an entirely different era, taking some visual liberty with a known story.

Kireet Khurana: The success of Jai Hanuman shows the power of emotional connection with the Indian audience. It doesn't matter what the quality of the film is, as long as the audience is able to relate to the characters and the story. The film grossed more than any Disney film released in India prior to it. Localization is the mantra.