Bollywood-style animation flick in US

Monkeys that sing, dance and fight villains in true Bollywood style will be the protagonists in DreamWorks Animation’s next project.

The US-based studio, known for its entertaining and visually appealing animation movies including Shrek, Madagascar and How To Train Your Dragon, has roped in music maestro AR Rahman and director-producer duo Gurinder Chadha and Paul Berges for a film titled Monkeys of Bollywood.

This was announced recently by the studio through entertainment and trade magazines in the US and UK. However, it is not clear if the film is a parody or a spoof on Bollywood.

The venture is said to be inspired by the epic Ramayana but will feature the mean streets of Mumbai. It will be a musical film and will chronicle the antics and escapades of two spirited monkeys who are compelled to wage a battle against a demon trying to conquer the world through unscrupulous means.

Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, who has written and composed several songs for the American musical theatre and films, is also on board.

“As soon as I heard that DreamWorks Animation was making an animated Bollywood style movie, I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” said Schwartz in a press statement.

“The fact that AR Rahman was also involved in the making of the film made it an even more exciting project for me,” he added.

Industry insiders reveal that plans are afoot to hire other big names from the various departments of filmmaking from both Hollywood and Bollywood.

“This is DreamWorks’ first musical film and that too with a Bollywood connection. Hence, they want to wrap it up quickly and efficiently by getting on board the best names in the filmmaking business from India and the US,” a source said.

Monkeys of Bollywood is currently in the planning and scripting stages and the production schedule and release date are yet to be announced.