'Very few VFX artists in India are pushing the limits'

Sometime in the late nineties, a much younger Jesh Krishna Murthy set out to make a career in special effects in Hollywood. Back then Indian IT was yet to bloom into global dominance, and many foreigners associated India with the great Indian rope trick, elephants, beggars and snakes, not necessarily in the same order. It took a bit of time but Murthy was soon working on a couple of high-profile Hollywood projects, like The Cell, Lara Croft Tomb Raider, Batman Begins, etc.

Then a strange thing happened, Murthy decided to migrate back to India. He decided to float a company Anibrain -- a high-end animation and visual effects (VFX) company. It is a business decision tinged with patriotism, he says. He intends to capitalize on the contacts he has made in Hollywood, and service them from Mumbai. Otherwise sanguine, he is quite acerbic on his views on Indian VFX companies and makes no effort to sugarcoat them. He spoke to Shashwat Chaturvedi on his latest venture, his passion and his pet peeve; tardy Indian VFX companies. Excerpts:

There seems to some confusion on what exactly is VFX? How is it different from special effects?

For me VFX and special effects are about tricking the eye through the medium of film. There are many ways to achieve these effects, namely through the use of computer (CG), or through the use of camera, trick photography. Any effect that is performed on the sets with the use of props is called as special effects like blood oozing, houses blown up, etc. Thus it is something that is captured on camera. VFX is something that is done after you have captured the sequence on camera with the use of computers.

How is the VFX industry shaping up in India?

It is still in nascent stage, there is a long way to go if we are to compete with the best globally. It is really a tough, long road. In the international arena, there are a lot of big players, and small studios shops that are doing great work.
There are a couple of studios in India that are making investments in hardware and software, but no one seems to be making any sort of investment in talent. For us to reach the global benchmarks one has to look at raising the skill levels of the people involved. Though there is a great potential, the Indian VFX industry is not shaping as well as it could or rather should.

What are the reasons for this sluggish growth?

First of all, we do not have a thriving local market. It is only quite recently that one is able to see more and more effects in Indian movies. Bollywood seems to be waking up to VFX, but we are still scratching the surface. Great effects are not about buying latest high-end hardware and software. It is an art form. The biggest asset an effects studio has is talent. These artists need to be mentored and exposed to what potentials VFX has. We need to go in and really understand the medium, look at developing software, plug-ins, tools, etc. More than anything else, I believe that as an artist you can really excel when you are pushed to your limits. Right now, there are just very few VFX artists in India who are pushing the limits. And they too get lost in the big studio set up. So there are many ailments afflicting Indian VFX industry.

When one compares that kind of VFX in Hollywood and India, there is sea of difference. Not only does Indian VFX seem unreal, but also they are not as slick as the ones seen in films like Lord of the Rings (LOTR) or Jurassic Park.


The reason is simple. We are just doing patch-up jobs and not slaving for perfection. Having worked on mega projects abroad, I know how much detail they put in even for a shot that lasts for a few seconds. They go all out to make that few seconds look real and meaningful. We need to have the perseverance to take it to that level. It is very easy to touch 60-70% perfection, harder to touch 90%, but the toughest part is to take it even higher, say, cent percent. We lack the eye for detail. Hardware and software can take you to a certain level, but after that it is your imagination and doggedness that takes you further. Most of the studios currently seemed to be more bothered about the financial aspects than the creative ones.

But don't we lack the equipment used in Hollywood films, say motion capture cameras...

Rubbish, plain rubbish. I have never used motion capture cameras. These are just excuses for not doing quality stuff. I really don't buy it. Everything is available here right from hardware to software. What we lack is the will to push ourselves to achieve the results.

What about budgets then? VFX budget for movies like LOTR would be equal to the budget of a few dozens big Bollywood blockbusters

I do understand that the budgets are low here, but let's not blame everything on budgets. Let me tell you something, there are a few shots in the big budget Hollywood movies that we just don't have the capabilities to replicate here in India. The reason why we don't have those capabilities is because we are not looking at ways to solve a problem and just looking for quick fixes. So while we don't have the kind of budgets for VFX like a Hollywood film has, but if we really understood the medium we would be able to do a much better job than we are currently doing. Personally, I will advise the studios to refuse a job for want of money, instead of doing a shoddy job. It is a double-edged sword, budgets are low resulting in poor quality and vice-a-versa.

Is India ready for films like LOTR or Jurassic Park?

Of course, LOTR worked because it was a great story. For a movie to work, it needs to have a great story. If you are making a movie just for the sake of effects, it would not succeed, it needs to have a good premise, a great story. You cannot have good effects with a bad story.

What is your latest venture Anibrain all about?

India has great potential. We are not a destination for cheap labor. If we can come up with really good stuff, we can charge close to what they charge abroad. But we need to prove ourselves first. To that end, I am doing my bit with Anibrain.
Anibrain is a high-end animation and VFX studio based in Mumbai. Anibrain will create original stuff comparable to the likes of Hollywood studios. We have a few US clients whom we will service out of India. There are many plans that are taking shape even as we talk, Anibrain will be creating original software, original techniques, mobile gaming, setting up a school of animation. We would be announcing a joint venture shortly.

What are your reasons for shifting base to India?

India is home, and home is where the heart is, right? On the other hand, the world is coming to India. I discussed my ventures with to a lot of clients. I intend to do my small bit by aiding the evolution of VFX industry in India. There is big potential here, and I want to be a part of the change.

How was your experience in working in Hollywood? What is process that is followed while creating a VFX sequence?

It was exhilarating. To say that I learned a lot will be an understatement. But while it was fun, it was tough as well. I came to know the intense process, develop tools, software...you name it.
A typical VFX sequence begins with a detailed discussion with the scriptwriter; need to work out the action sequence with him. Then comes previz or pre-visualization in which the character and camera moves are worked on in detail on the computer, which is approved by the director. It is followed by actual filming, we need to ensure that the sequence follows as decided in the previz stage. Finally, the mother of all, post-production, we build and build, use previz as a reference point, series of back and forth with the director. And then the effect is rendered.

Which has been your toughest challenge to date?

The water giants in the film Mee-Shee: The Water Giant. I had to write the software for the movie and was stretched to my creative & technical limits. Undoubtedly, it was my toughest job to date.

Which are your favorite movies?

The best films for me will be Stars Wars, Jurassic War, LOTR. In India, I used to love the old serials Ramayana and Mahabharta shown on Doordarshan. The effects were quite cheesy, but I loved them. There is some good work happening in Bollywood too, Dhoom, Koi Mil Gaya were quite decent. Also, some great stuff is being done from Chennai studios.