Climb Media

Climb Media is a leading production house in feature films, television commercials and short films. The company was founded in 1971 by award-winning film-maker & pioneer of animation films in India, Bhimsain Khurana. He named his company Climb Films (renamed Climb Media in 2004) after his debut film “The Climb”’s success. It was later passed on to his son Kireet Khurana, a 5 time national awardee & a high-honours graduate from Sheridan College, Canada.

Initial success

In 1971, "The Climb" a one-minute-long short film from India won the Silver Hugo Award, Chicago International Film Festival rapidly increasing its public awareness of its debutante film-maker Bhimsain. "Climb Media" has seen many of these accolades since - 21 National Awards and 10 International Awards among others.

Rise to prominence

As a company Climb Media have worked on many award-winning Public Service campaigns, the latest being a series of 4 short films for Childline India Foundation on - child labour, child marriage, corporal punishment and child sexual abuse. Komal, a film on CSA (Child Sexual Abuse) won FICCI Best Animated Frames (BAF) Award, 2014. Like Sisters, a film based on Child Marriage, won the Best Public Service and Social Film Award at Infocom Assocham 2013.^[1] Education Counts won the 'Viewer's Choice' award at ANIFEST 2013.

In collaboration National Film Board of Canada (NFB) & UNICEF International for the acclaimed ‘Rights from the Heart’ series, they produced a number of award-winning short films- ‘Locked’ (1977) a film on child labour and Trade (1977) a film on child prostitution. Another recent animation film by the production house The Prince and the Magician won the 5th Mumbai International award for the best film in 1998; the same film being selected for screening in Matita Film Festival, Italy, 1999.

Sand Castle (a short film about Paedophilia), Here I am (a short film on education for the girl child), Paper Plane (a short film on conservation of trees), were funded by International bodies like UNIFEM and Save the Children India. Sand Castle won the best public service message film award at the Seagate Technical Excellence Awards, 2006 and secured an official selection at the Bimini Festival. Among the many short films was Happy Diwali, which was produced for UNICEF, New York; based on Human Convention for child rights. And Innocence that was an initiative by Climb Media, produced or Childline India Pvt. Ltd.

For its close association with NASSCOM, Climb Media was also honoured with an award at the NASSCOM 25 years’ celebration.

Television content

Ek Anek Aur Ekta or "One, Many, and Unity" (also known as Ek Chidiya, Anek Chidiyan after the title song) is a traditionally animated short educational film by the production house, released by the Films Division of India (Government of India). It was released in 1974. It was aired on the state-owned Doordarshan and became very popular among children, having had over 500 screenings on Indian television. In 1985, Bhimsain ventured into T.V. serial production with a highly successful and popular sitcom “Chhoti Badi Baaten” based on superstitions. In 1990, his documentary “Kathni Karni Eksi” fetched him two National Awards.

They were also the creators of India’s first television series aired on Doordarshan (DD)- ‘Lok Gatha’ aired in 1992 for Children’s Film Society of India, a path breaking series that won 3 National awards, and ‘Vartman’ which aired in 1996.

The Adventures of Chhota Birbal, an animated series created by Kireet Khurana, and produced by [Climb Media and 2NZanimation- the animation wing of the company, was one of its kind. It won the Seagate Technical Award for Excellence in 2004 for Best Animated Series, Chhota Birbal being the first Indian Animation character to be licensed. It was India’s first television series IP to be licensed and merchandised.

Feature films

Gharaonda a 1977 Hindi film, produced and directed by Bhimsain Khurana was a classic way ahead of its times. Starring Zarina Wahad and Amol Palekar, it is considered a milestone in Indian Cinema. It was one of the first films to portray urban India in a sensitive and realistic manner. It received 5 Filmfare Awards for the performances of Zarina Wahad and Amol Palekar.

A 1979 Bollywood film, Dooriyaan , directed by the founder Bhimsain Khurana. This critically acclaimed successful film starring Sharmila Tagore and Uttam Kumar won 7 awards, including a Filmfare Critics Award; showcasing the dilemmas and personal ambitions of a married couple, a paradigm shift in terms of story far ahead of its time.

Tum Laut Aao was a 1983 film, yet another one of the production house's works, based on a man’s obsession with settling overseas in order to alleviate his lifestyle. The movie won more honours and rave reviews, which further strengthened the director’s credentials as a sensitive film-maker.

In 2010, the production house reached a turning point with the release of India's first live action - 3D animation-Live action combination feature film, Toonpur Ka Superrhero(Translation: Toonpur's Super Hero) written by Raagi Bhatnagar and directed by Kireet Khurana. The film features Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Sanjai Mishra, Tanuja and Mukesh Tiwari in lead roles along with a number of animated characters. The film was remade in English in early 2011. It hit the box office and made a high gross in a two-week net. It was a moderate commercial success and received mixed to positive reviews from critics.

A live-action feature film ‘Laadli’ (The Darling) produced by Children’s Film Society India, 2002, based on female infanticide in the state of Rajasthan also gathered appreciation in matters of film making.

Upcoming Projects

Jugnoo, India's first Horror-Comedy animated film, to be completed by 2015.

History

References