Initially, quality was quite a problem, because we really didn't have people trained in handling animation. As we contracted this work, we soon realised that the culture of animation in India left much to be desired. There were very few artists who took animation seriously. There were no institutions to train young artists. So, many studios started their own training programmes. At UTV Toons, for instance, the first thing we did was start a training programme. We'd pick up 30 candidates, many of whom had not even basic art training.

After our six-month training programme, they would then take on production, learning on the job. But over time, with all the contracted work, our artists were exposed to international quality, and the quality improved.

Over the last 10 years, the quality has improved a lot, as our artists have gained confidence. Our studios are doing stuff on par with Taiwan and other known centres for animation, but we still have a long way to go.

You've been influential in training the next generation of Indian animators. Is this your legacy? How does it feel to be known as the godfather of Indian animation?

It's been very satisfying. There is a real growth. There were stages of my career, in the beginning, when growth was so slow. It was frustrating. It was looked upon as esoteric and arcane. Even people who had done fine arts didn't look upon animation, because they were not too sure of where the industry was going.

Today, there are a lot of young people interested in animation. I personally feel that we have been doing a good job of training them, in terms of getting a lot of people in the industry that are well-trained and skilled.

I'm very lucky. Artists who worked under me are not just with Graphiti, but all over the country: Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad, to name few. And they too will teach new students, who will teach others. It feels great to have been helpful in the process. I just hope that Indian animation continues to grow and expand.