Animation film ‘Mini and the Rockstars’ shows why rocks are the real stars of the ecosystem

In the animation film Mini and the Rockstars, protagonist Mini is a curious little girl in the mood for a picnic. Wearing a long, yellow t-shirt with a large heart-shaped print, she sets off to see the balancing rocks and experience Nature.

While her father is enjoying his afternoon siesta and mother is busy reading and doing yoga, this budding vlogger takes her father’s phone to shoot pictures. The magic unfolds when she sees a glowing Palapitta — Indian Roller, the State bird of Telangana, which vanishes after leading her to a beautiful rock enclosure. Mini is alone and apprehensive but the fear disappears when she meets new people and listens to the story of the planet from the perspective of rocks. In the end, she becomes a changemaker in her own way.

Written and directed by Hyderabad-based Gunjan Ashtaputre and Aishwarya Yerra, the seven-minute animation film in English interspersed with a few Telugu words highlights the importance of rocks in the ecosystem.

Although it is set around the iconic balancing rock formations of Hyderabad, the narrative could be true of any other city facing depletion of rock formations due to urbanisation. “It is a story about listening to the earth; it connects to children and resonates with people of all ages,” says Gunjan.

The ‘Rockstars’

The trailer was screened recently at a session to mark the 30th anniversary of Society to Save the Rocks (STSR) in Hyderabad. The initial working title, The Hill that Remembers, was later changed to highlight Mini’s point of view. “The word ‘Rockstars’ in the title is obviously a pun, and the word never gets old. Everyone relates to it.”

While Aparajita SInha and Ravi Kumar are credited as creative and research advisors, the animation and sound design team include Gunjan, Bijit Keot and Manjeet Singh. Aparajita, a close ally of STSR, had discussed a campaign for children on the significance and conservation of rock formations.

The idea also rekindled Gunjan’s memories of going on rock walks with his artist-father Sanjay Ashtaputre and his friend Ambadas Mahurkar in Hyderabad. While the adults painted watercolours on canvases, he used to draw rock sketches on his sketchbook.

With ‘Rock hai toh sab hai’ as the theme, the script took almost three months to crack. The team worked towards condensing the information without making it preachy. “From the bridge we built, to the phone we use, everything has the dust of rocks in them. We talk about saving trees, water, lakes and fuel to the children, but rocks are at the top of the pyramid. If there are no rocks, there are no lakes, trees and no ecosystem.”

The team plans to launch the film for World Environment Day on June 5, and screen it at schools, followed by colleges and the corporate sector.