Prakash Dantuluri – CEO at Paradigm Creatives

Friday, 11 February 2011 23:01

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CG Today : Odyssey is all set to be the first of its kind interactive 3D Graphics Application on iPhone. With such an acclaimed team, a first-of-sorts was on the cards. Why was iPhone picked for this 3D application? Can we look forward to similar launches in other arenas?

Prakash : iPad is a great platform to sell. It is also meritocratic. When we started this venture that was the only platform we considered. However, now we are working on releasing the same app for the Android platform too.

So, yes, we are not limited to one platform.

CG Today : Please tell us more about Percipi, a Paradigm Creative initiative in the world of learning platforms. What was the inspiration for developing something for the students along with making it compatible for Android and iPad?

Prakash : Percipi is probably the first of its kind, not just in India, but in the world. It is an end-to-end learning platform on a tablet computer. A desktop computer is a great tool to learn. But the problem with it is that you can’t take it everywhere. They were designed in the 80s. In the future that we are predicting, where your smartphone or tablet becomes your computer, how would you learn? A tablet computer, fundamentally, gives you the mobility, an instant switch-on and interactivity through its touch screen. How is this an advantage to learn? Percipi is an answer to these questions.

When we first demoed it at the ICT Conference Hyderabad (2010) I was overwhelmed by the response we got. We knew we were on to something that students almost instantly connected to and intuitively understood. Then when I demoed it to the academicians and school management, I understood that it IS the future.

Simply put, Percipi is going to revolutionize the way you learn.

CG Today : You have produced and directed two full length feature films, Satyabhama and Om Shanti. From the CEO of a technology company to a film director, how did the transformation take place? Did you face any real challenges to start with?

Prakash : I produced Satyabhama. I directed Om Shanti which was produced by Ashwini Dutt. It didn’t happen in a day. The movie bug started a decade back. It was inside me all the time. I made many choices knowingly or unknowingly towards making a movie. It was a culmination of contacts, people, events, opportunities and experiences.

Regarding ‘transformation’, as programmer Prakash or CEO Prakash or director Prakash, I guess I had the same traits, strengths and weaknesses. It is about understanding something from the point of view of economics, people, facts, myths, industry trends and opportunities. It is also about your ability to take on the responsibility, obstacles and challenges and finally it is about your ability to execute it and deliver it.

In that aspect, directing a movie, (and delivering it within the schedule and within the budget) was the toughest job I undertook so far. It was physically demanding, very complex and came under high visibility. I have to admit that I loved it all the way.

CG Today : You had an early tryst with animation industry which culminated in the making of a short film as well? How was the experience and do you have plans to unleash more in the animation world in the times to come?

Prakash : It was a painful experience. I wanted to do a comic book series that is firmly grounded in India and to produce an animated series titled the ‘Seven stupid disciples’. The infrastructure, support and the eco system were simply not there back then. I gained some experience and insights but also lost lots of hard earned money.

Yeah, definitely I would love to do something with animation in the future.

CG Today : Your profile is unique in the sense that you have garnered experience in technology, telecom, education and entertainment. Do you see these domains blending to help the next generation programmers and animators?

Prakash : Telecom is a little abstract to understand. When we say Telecom, we don’t mean the fibre and the associated problems. For us Telecom is your service provider who is in an increasing need to add more data driven applications to users’ phones to maximize his profits. There isn’t much money to make in the calls anymore. There is still some money left in data transfer.

Odyssey Consumption of Entertainment on the mobile devices is increasing exponentially. The entertainment industry cannot ignore this platform anymore. They need to work closely with the Telecom to explore this platform. They need tools. They need content that suits this new platform.

A lot of companies have already digitized classroom learning. But the tools with which the learning is going to happen is going to drastically change. We believe it is going to be tablet computers and smartphones. I personally believe that this change is going to happen very fast. Faster than anyone is expecting.

So, for us, the underlying technology that enables the making and delivery of an animated short, an interactive story, an interactive physics lesson on these platforms is the same.

There are many other sectors that are also going to be revolutionized with these technologies. Healthcare, Logistics, Infrastructure, Census, Banking etc.

But we chose to focus on education, entertainment and telecom.

And also to answer another part of your question, yes there is going to be a huge amount of piggy backing of these sectors. Yes, this is a great opportunity for artists, programmers, gamers and young movie makers.

CG Today : For someone as versatile as you are with interests in biotech, real estate, movie making and technological advances, what is the chief motivating factor that keeps you going?

Prakash : To create something new. To find a solution. Lately my focus is on building something that lasts for a long time. Beyond its original idea and beyond its founders.

CG Today : You seem to be an admirer of Guy Ritchie. Do you think with the changing dynamics we, in India can churn out movies of the quality of Sherlock Holmes or Snatch, two completely different but equally entertaining movies?

Prakash : Yes we definitely can.

You also need a ‘Good’ eco system to produce a ‘Good’ movie. Good universities. Good theaters. Good writing. Good scales. Good training. Good education. Good governance. Good courts. Good infrastructure. Good technology. Good research. Good recognition. Good policies. Good practices. Everything contributes. Otherwise, only once in a while a miracle happens. Yes, that’s what you end up with. A miracle. Once in a while someone transcends all these obstacles and will produce something extraordinary. That’s all. A genius and a one-time wonder product.

But for the industry to produce something extraordinary on a daily basis, i.e., with consistency – as we see (broadly speaking) in the West, we need all these ‘good’ things in place.

This applies to not just movies, but to every field.

CG Today : For our readers trying to making it big in the animation movie industry, do you have any advice, especially at this juncture, when things are indeed moving in the right direction?

Prakash : These are extraordinary times we are living in. For the first time in the known history of human beings, you can do what you want to do with your life. Better, you have a chance to succeed.

Technology is out there. Knowledge is out there. Market is out there. Nobody has time to judge you based on your color, caste or any other myopic parameters. They need your talent. They need your ideas.

Nothing is stopping you from achieving what you want. Whether you are programmer, movie maker or an animator, the opportunity is out there for everyone. Come out and play. This playground is for everybody!

CG Today : Mr. Prakash, thanks for your time and all the very best for your future endeavors.

Prakash : Thank you for taking your time out and asking me these keen questions.

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