Kurukshetra creator HiTech Studios says Indian animation needs collaboration

Netflix India has taken the 18-day epic battle from the Mahabharata to global audiences with its animated series Kurukshetra: The Great War of Mahabharata, the platform’s first animated retelling of the epic. Released across 190 countries and dubbed in 34 languages, the 18-episode series quickly climbed to No. 1 on Netflix India. Behind the project was Kolkata-based HiTech Animation Studios, where more than 250 artists worked to bring the saga to life.

Ashish Thapar, CEO of HiTech Animation Studios, says the biggest challenge was crafting a narrative that resonated with both Indian viewers, who are already deeply familiar with the mythology, and global audiences with no prior context.

“When you’re retelling an epic, the first question is: what’s different? For Indian audiences, we chose animation because we felt it was the right medium for this story. Then came the task of making the narrative suited to today’s viewing habits, like binge-watching, cinematic pacing, and telling each chapter effectively within 22 minutes,” he says.

For international audiences, the benchmark was the scale and ambition of Indian hits like RRR and Baahubali.

“Our goal was to deliver a cinematic experience through animation without imitating existing trends like anime. We wanted something fresh, original, and global. If you look at Kurukshetra, beyond the animation quality and cinematic values, we experimented with character treatment, like detailed texturing and surfacing on the faces, to make them more stylised and appealing,” he adds.

For years, Indian animation was largely built on international service work, while domestic content stayed kid-centric—colourful, simple, and mostly for ages six to ten. HiTech Animation set out to break that mould with Kurukshetra, aiming specifically at an older audience.

“It was one of the first attempts to create large-scale animation for adults. We always believed the medium had more potential and that Indian audiences were finally ready for it. Kurukshetra allowed us to apply years of technical expertise and deliver something very different from what’s been done so far,” Thapar says.

The rise of OTT platforms has expanded the possibilities even further, opening new territories and audiences for Indian animation. HiTech, having created eight kids’ shows like Ekans, Shiva, and Taarak Mehta Ka Chhota Chashma, has mainly produced content for television. “That’s where the audience was, and OTT platforms weren’t taking animation easily. That remains our core strength, and we’ll continue creating for that segment,” he says.

But the studio is shifting. Over the next two years, HiTech plans to balance its output 50–50 between OTT and TV (from the current 80–20 in favour of TV). The next ambition is theatrical animation.

“OTT gives creators confidence to explore both formats, big-screen releases and episodic storytelling. With OTT partners backing animation, it’s easier to take bold creative steps for the big screen,” he says.

Just as Netflix has taken Indian mythology to 190 countries, HiTech Animation wants to take Indian animation global. Thapar believes animation has an innate ability to travel.

“Bollywood has its successes, but only a few films break into international markets. In animation, if the story is told well, it can reach audiences anywhere,” he says.

For India to make that leap, Thapar stresses the need for collaboration. “To bridge the gap in sensibilities, we need to work with international writers and directors who understand global audiences. Partnerships will help us create stories that travel.”

He is currently involved in a show being produced in Italy that blends Italian and Japanese cultural elements and is designed to reach multiple countries. “That’s the direction we need to move in. These can be Indian stories too, just told with global partners who bring an international perspective,” he says. HiTech is already developing an Indian story with an international writer.

Another priority is IP creation. “Studios need to hold rights to some of the content they create because IP is what builds long-term value,” he says.

Thapar believes the government should incentivise the earliest stages of IP creation—helping studios develop pitch bibles, teasers, and scripts.

“In Europe, incentives aren’t just about employment. They help protect culture by encouraging local studios to create content for their own children. That’s the mindset we need to adopt,” he says.