Jai Natarajan and Shwetabh Chandra Varma. Picture by Aranya Sen

A long tradition of creativity, loads of untapped talent and a rapidly changing state. Factors that can combine to propel West Bengal to the forefront of the animation scene in India.

Animation veterans Jai Natarajan and Shwetabh Chandra Varma had this and more to offer to wide-eyed enthusiasts filling up GD Birla Sabhagar on Sunday morning, while delving into career opportunities in the animation industry.

They should know. Jai is past technical director of George Lucas?s revered visual effects studio Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), working on biggies like Star Wars: Episode I, Flubber and The Perfect Storm, while Shwetabh has contributed to Bollywood big-budget ventures like The Rising and Rang De Basanti.

?The interest in animation here is fantastic,? offered Jai, after the interaction with the audience. ?Besides the creative tradition and talent, what was true of West Bengal even a year ago is not true today.?

The BITS Pilani graduate studied computer science in UCLA before being lapped by ILM where he stayed on for five years. ?More than anything else, the humility of the artists at ILM impressed me,? said Jai, who found working on The Perfect Storm most challenging technically.

Shwetabh found working on two completely different films side-by-side exciting.

?Rising was a period piece, for which I had to do a lot of research work. Rang De?had a completely contemporary feel,? added the NID graduate who is finalising the script for his debut feature film.

The duo ? both now based in Mumbai and working freelance ? felt that more animation work needs to be done locally in India, like in Korea. ?The government needs to fund animation projects? something on the lines of NFDC,? offered Jai.