Manikantan,
a
full-length
animated
film
produced
by
India
Tales
Media
with
a
budget
of
Rs.
40
crores,
will
be
released
simultaneously
in
five
Indian
languages
(Hindi,
Malayalam,
Kannada,
Tamil
and
Telugu)
in
August,
2009.
Its
English
version
will
be
released
in
December,
Nalin
Singh,
Managing
Director
of
India
Tales
Media,
said
on
Wednesday.
Eight
different
types
of
animation
techniques
like
2D,
3D
animation,
clay
mation,
toy
mation,
oil
painting
and
Kerala
murals
are
being
used
in
the
film,
which
is
under
production
in
Hyderabad
and
Thiruvanthapuram.
Malayalam
actors
Mohanlal,
Sukumari
and
Jagathi
Sreekumar
have
lent
their
voices
to
the
film,
being
directed
by
Reji
Syne;
maestro
Ilayaraja
has
scored
the
music.
India
Tales
Media
opted
for
an
animated
film
on
Lord
Ayyappa
as
his
company's
aim
is
to
show
to
the
world
the
rich
Indian
tradition.
Nalin
Singh
added
that
200
technicians
are
working
on
the
film
in
Hyderabad
and
60
in
Thiruvanthapuram.
The
company
has
already
announced
the
web
launch
of
'Manikantan
Geet
Mala',
a
devotional
album
on
Lord
Ayyappa.
Music
for
the
album
has
been
composed
by
Ilaiyaraja
and
is
being
released
in
Tamil,
Telugu,
Kannada
and
Malayalam.
The
lyrics
are
written
by
Vaali
in
Tamil,
Vennela
Kanti
in
Telugu,
K.
Kalyan
in
Kannada
and
Anil
Panachooran
in
Malayalam.
The
album
has
six
bhajans,
sung
by
S.P.
Balasubramaniam,
Vijay
Yesudas,
Madhu
Balakrishnan,
Shankaran
Namboodhri
and
Ilayaraja.
The
premiere
concert
of
the
album
will
held
on
October
12
in
Chennai.