Nina Sabnani, Acclaimed Animator and Educator, Receives Ram Mohan Award at Ann Awards 2024
Mumbai, 4 September 2024 – In a momentous recognition of her contributions to the Indian animation industry, Nina Sabnani was presented with the prestigious Ram Mohan Award for Excellence in Animation at the Ann Awards 2024, held as part of the Animation and More (AM) Summit in Mumbai. The award, established in 2022 by AnimationXpress in collaboration with Graphiti Multimedia, honors the legacy of the late Padma Shri Ram Mohan, the revered “Father of Indian Animation.” Sabnani, an artist, filmmaker, and educator, joins the ranks of previous recipients such as Dhimant Vyas (2022) and Prakash Moorthy (2023).
Presented by Graphiti Multimedia founder Munjal B. Shroff, FICCI AVGC-XR Forum chairman Ashish Kulkarni, and AnimationXpress founder and editor-in-chief Anil NM Wanvari, the award highlighted Sabnani’s remarkable work in animation, especially her collaborations with artists and folk storytellers. Her notable films include Mukand and Riaz, Tanko Bole Chhe (The Stitches Speak), and Baat Wahi Hai. In 2016, Sabnani received the national award (Rajat Kamal) from the President of India for her film Hum Chitra Banate Hain in collaboration with Bhil artist Sher Singh. In 2018, she was awarded the Big Little Book Award for illustration at the Tata Lit Live Festival.
During the ceremony, Sabnani expressed her gratitude to Graphiti and the Ann Awards, paying homage to Ram Mohan’s legacy. “I am greatly humbled; thank you very much Graphiti, Ann Awards, Ram Mohan, and Sheila Rao,” she said. Sabnani fondly recalled her connections with Mohan, including their shared mentor, Clair Weeks, a Disney animator. She also highlighted Mohan’s pivotal role in supporting students at the National Institute of Design (NID), where she helped launch an animation program.
The ceremony also featured tributes to Mohan from Shroff and Kulkarni, who praised his contributions to the Indian animation industry. Mohan’s wife, Sheila Rao, was notably absent due to recovering from a fracture but was remembered with respect.
The Ann Awards ceremony, part of the two-day AM Summit, took place at the NESCO Exhibition Centre, celebrating the innovation and creativity in the animation sector. The event continues to be the largest gathering for the Indian animation industry.
