We hardly make films for children in Bollywood: Ketan Mehta

Director Ketan Mehta feels filmmakers have shied away from making films for children and says it is high time Bollywood comes out with more movies keeping the young audience in mind.
The "Manjhi" helmer says kids constitute an important section of the audience which should not be neglected.
When asked if Bollywood does not make many films for children, Ketan said, "Most certainly. We hardly do any film for children in this country and it is time that it started happening because children are such an important part of our audience. I hope more and more animation films are made.

"I am very happy that some of the animation films are now succeeding in India because there is a substantially large audience that has been created over the last five years," he said.
Ketan has produced animated film "Motu Patlu King of Kings", which is set to release on October 14.
The director says it would be rather unfair to compare the animation of Hollywood with that of Bollywood, as the former has been doing it since a long time.

Ketan, however, feels the animation sector in India has grown tremendously over the last decade.
"Hollywood is doing animation since nearly 80 years, we have started it since the last ten years. But even in these ten years it is incredible the way our animation sector has progressed," he said.

"I feel the animation sector in India will grow rapidly. Children of today's generation, who are growing up on animation, they will take the sector higher. There is trend of Indian animation which was not there five years ago," he said.
Meanwhile, the director's next "Rani Lakshmi Bai", starring Kangana Ranaut, will go on floors next year. The "Queen" star will play the titular role in the film based on the Rani of Jhansi, one of the leaders of the first Indian war of independence in 1857.
Ketan said casting for the male lead is still on.