Tata Elxsi's Visual Computing Labs renders astounding visual effects for the epical romance Jodhaa Akbar
February 28, 2008

Visual Computing Labs (VCL), a division of Tata Elxsi, announced that it has rendered the exclusive visual effects for the most awaited movie of the year Jodhaa Akbar. A whole year of post production and over one hundred artists from VCL helped make give this epic drama a large scale canvas that has till now not been seen in Indian cinema.

Focused on providing world-class, quality animation (2D and 3D), special effects, and gaming services to customers world wide, VCL has combined creativity and technology for Jodhaa Akbar, producing realistic and breathtaking images and creating the much required glory of the splendid Mughal era.

Pankaj Khandpur, creative director, Visual Computing Labs, said, "Ashutosh Gowarikar, the director and co-producer of Jodhaa Akbar, discussed the visual effects of the movie with Tata Elxsi way back in 2005. With world-class creative talent, a strong and experienced team of artists and advanced CG filmmaking technology and techniques, VCL has been able to create realistic battle sequences in the movie and restore the long lost splendour of the 16th century Mughal dynasty."

"Our team spent many months prior to the shooting to just test the feasibility of doing the shots in CGI. A team of modellers and texture artists was put onto the job to digitally restore the forts and palaces to look like they did in the 16th century. Wherever the structures were badly ruined Tata Elxsi went in and completely rebuilt them in computer-generated imagery (CGI), and then using high-resolution digital images texture mapped the structures to blend in seamlessly with the existing fort or palace," he further added.

Over 200 shots were meticulously planned during pre production in CGI for the three battle sequences in the movie. Wherever the camera movement was complicated and the existing layers proved inadequate VCL built the soldiers in CGI using crowd duplication software.

Additionally, all the arrows were hand animated in CGI and put into the battle sequences. Large tracts of ground had to be cleared of all modern day traces, most apparent being tyre marks of vehicles. Dust was added digitally to enhance the feeling of scale to the battle sequences and then the ground was strewn with dead bodies and vultures in the sky all done in CGI to show the devastation after a heavy battle.