24 May,2026 11:33 AM IST | Mumbai | Junisha Dama
Return of the Jungle draws inspiration from Panchatantra and Jataka Tales, but don’t expect a Sunday school lesson. The film promises a contemporary Indian soul, complete with bhajans, qawwalis, even a Calypso number
If you grew up in the late 1990s or early 2000s, you have probably laughed thanks to the sharp-tongued Punjabi teacher named Simpoo Singh on Channel V. Perhaps you have also watched Cartoon Network's animated series Lamput (2016-) which earned the studio two Emmy nominations, making them the only Indian animation studio to achieve this feat.
The studio behind those iconic characters, Vaibhav Studios, founded by Vaibhav Kumaresh, has spent the last quarter-century making us laugh in 30-second bursts. But now, he's asking for 93 minutes of our time.
His studio's upcoming release Return of the Jungle is a statistical anomaly. In a country that produces over 1500 films a year, this is only the second Indian animated feature to grace the big screen in over two decades. Following the recent theatrical success of Mahavatar Narasimha, which was released in 2025, the stakes couldn't be higher.
"Every following film needs to fight its own battle," Kumaresh tells us, "It needs to make money. That's the simplest way to put it forward for perceptions to change."
While most Bollywood blockbusters are shot in months Return of the Jungle has been in the making for a staggering 16 years. It is a story of grit that rivals any cinematic plot. For over a decade and a half, a core team of just 18 to 20 people at Vaibhav Studios lived a double life.
"We used to do our daal roti projects - all our commercials - to fund this," Kumaresh explains, "As a studio, what we love doing is creating our own stories. We have never gone into outsourced work." He notes that while Indian talent powers global animated blockbusters, 90 per cent of the local industry remains service providers for foreign clients. "All these decades, we have spent our time telling someone else's story."
The journey was so intense that during the pandemic, Kumaresh issued a hilarious, albeit macabre, decree to his team. "During the COVID 19 [pandemic], we told all our colleagues that no one will die. It is forbidden to die. Because our film is incomplete. If you die, even the soul will not get peace."
The biggest hurdle isn't just the tech or the time, it's the sautela bhai (step-brother) treatment animation receives in India. There is a stubborn perception that if it's animated, it's for children only.
"Animation is also a medium of filmmaking," Kumaresh asserts, "Why can't we entertain the entire family? For us, the biggest excitement is that families should be able to watch this together."
Return of the Jungle draws inspiration from Panchatantra and Jataka Tales, but don't expect a Sunday school lesson. The film promises a contemporary Indian soul, complete with bhajans, qawwalis, even a Calypso number. "If we crack a joke in Hindi and I translate it into English, it won't be fun," says Kumaresh, "We have rarely seen everyday contemporary India captured in our animation films. That nostalgia or that connection with your own culture is going to be so strong."
Despite the strong Indian storytelling, the road to the theatres was paved with rejection. When Kumaresh sought financial backing, the doors remained shut. OTT platforms weren't interested in a standalone feature, preferring episodic content.
"When I have invested so much, why should I give away my film to OTT?" he asks. Ultimately, it was his family who stepped in. "In two months, my family gave me all the money that was needed for my theatrical release. They stood by the film."
As we wrap up, we ask him what he expects from the box office. He doesn't mince words. "Now, I'm like a salesman. The response I'm expecting is R500 crore. I just need the figures to do the talking. We need three or four films to come and shatter the box office so that future animation filmmakers get more support."
Whether Return of the Jungle becomes the box office success Indian animation has been waiting for remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Vaibhav Kumaresh has already won the marathon. Now, he's just waiting for the audience to cross the finish line with him.
