Onam at Toonz: A Celebration of Tradition, Talent and Togetherness

Onam was celebrated in full glory at Toonz, bringing together colleagues across departments for a day filled with tradition, talent, music, dance, games and plenty of festive cheer.

The celebrations began with Mahabali leading a colourful procession from the 2D department to 3D, which was beautifully decked up to usher in the festivities. The celebrations were inaugurated with the lighting of the traditional lamp by P. K. Vijayakumar, Director – Operations. CEO Viswanath Rao joined the celebrations virtually and shared a warm Onam message with the Toonz family, while Director – Finance Karthik spoke about some of his cherished Onam memories.

The cultural program brought the spirit of Kerala alive with a vibrant array of performances. Programs started with a graceful Thiruvathira, followed by energetic group dances and soulful solo singing performances by Toonzians. The celebrations also featured the much-awaited Kerala Sreeman and Malayali Manka contests, which added glamour, excitement and plenty of entertainment to the program. Gokul Hari from 3D Lighting department was crowned Kerala Sreeman, while Remya B. From MIS was named Malayali Manka.

The festive fun continued into the afternoon and evening with a series of entertaining Onam games. Colleagues enthusiastically participated in the fun-filled activities, cheered each other on and enjoyed some friendly competition, creating plenty of laughter and memorable moments.

The celebrations reached a lively finale with an energetic flash mob featuring colleagues from both the 2D and 3D teams. And, of course, no Onam celebration would be complete without a grand feast. Everyone came together for a delicious Onam Sadhya, featuring an excellent spread of traditional Kerala delicacies and an assortment of delectable payasams.

From Mahabali’s grand arrival and the cultural performances to the contests, games, flash mob and sumptuous Sadhya, the celebrations truly captured the essence of Onam, tradition, togetherness and the joy of celebrating as one Toonz family.

Bringing Onam to Life, the Toonz Way

The Onam celebrations at Toonz had an extra touch of magic this year, thanks to a special Onam greeting video created entirely in-house by our talented creative team.

Unveiled during the Onam celebrations and subsequently shared across Toonz’s social media platforms and internal channels, the beautifully crafted video brought together the best of 2D, 3D, live action and AI-assisted design to create a uniquely Toonz take on the festival. The seamless combination of animation, live-action imagery and AI-assisted elements made the greeting both visually engaging and distinctly contemporary.

The project was brought to life through the collaborative efforts of the entire 2D team.

Creative Direction: Sooraj M K

Creative Assistance: Sriram, Shyraj

Animatics: Sujith

BG Supervision & Colour Correction: Santhosh

2D Animation Supervision: Sumesh K

2D Animation: Binoy, Sabu V John, Mathai M Mathai, Robin, Arun AT, Navajoth, Amal Vijukumar, Indubala, Fardhan

Assets: Anuja Anil, Philip

AI Animation & Design: Sooraj M K

Compositing: Sibil, Kiran

Music & Mix: Sooraj M K, Shyraj, Sriram, Philip

Editing: Philip, Sooraj M K

Live Photoshoot: Shyraj

Production: Ratheesh Kumar, Ansal Rahiman

2D Rig: Vijayalakshmi S,Manikandan S, Sumithlal S

More than an Onam greeting, the video was a showcase of the creativity, craftsmanship and collaborative spirit within Toonz, bringing together multiple disciplines and technologies to tell a simple, joyful Onam story in a truly Toonz way.

Toonz Celebrates Jay Jagannath Win and Industry Leadership at Animation & More Summit

It was a proud moment for Toonz as Jay Jagannath was honoured with the Best 2D Animated Series award at the ANN Awards. The series, which has connected strongly with audiences across India, is a project that holds a special place for the Toonz team. The recognition celebrates the creativity, collaboration and dedication of everyone involved in bringing the series to life.

Toonz extends its congratulations and gratitude to ELE Animation, the creators of Jay Jagannath, Warner Bros. Discovery, the broadcast partner, and all the teams and partners who contributed to the project.

Adding to the company's industry presence, Anish Narayanan Kutty, Director- Content Distribution and Digital Media Platforms, Toonz Media Group, participated in the Animation & More Summit in Mumbai, joining a panel discussion titled “Service Studio to IP Creator: Why the Transition is Harder Than It Looks and How to Do It Anyway.”

Moderated by Anil NM Wanvari, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, AnimationXpress, the discussion brought together leading voices from India's animation and VFX industry, including Anand Bhanushali of philmCGI, Alok Sharma of Small Town Boys Studios, Arjun Madhavan of Assemblage Entertainment and Sriram Chandrasekaran of Studio56 Animation & VFX.

The panel explored one of the industry's most important conversations today: how studios built around service and outsourcing can successfully evolve towards creating and owning original intellectual property.

From celebrating creative successes to contributing to conversations shaping the future of animation, Toonz continues to be part of the industry's evolving story.

From Learning to Creating

ACADEMY PROGRAM

Toonz Media Group recently collaborated with the Innovative Film Academy (IFA), Abu Dhabi, for a two-day Animation & VFX Masterclass held on August 8 and 9, 2026.

The masterclass brought together aspiring filmmakers, animators and VFX enthusiasts for an immersive exploration of animation, visual effects, 3D production and storytelling. Sessions were led by Vinod A. S., Head – VP Training; Karthik V. Kumar, Director – Finance & Operations; and Bharat D., VFX Supervisor and Toonz alumnus, who shared valuable insights from their industry experience.

Combining expert-led sessions, hands-on learning and engaging interactions, the masterclass offered participants a closer look at both the creative and technical processes behind animation and VFX production.

The energy and enthusiasm of the participants made the experience particularly rewarding, highlighting the growing interest and potential of the next generation of creative talent in Abu Dhabi.

We thank the Innovative Film Academy team, our mentors, and all the participants for making the masterclass a memorable and enriching experience. Toonz looks forward to creating more opportunities to connect, collaborate, and inspire the next generation of storytellers and creators.