Director

Shilpa Ranade

Shilpa Ranade is a multi-talented creative force who's been shaping Indian cinema through animation and visual storytelling since the early 2000s. Best known for her stunning feature film Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya, which made waves at the Toronto International Film Festival, she's carved out a unique space for herself in an industry not exactly flooded with women animators. Beyond filmmaking, Ranade has been a faculty member at IIT Bombay's prestigious Industrial Design Centre since 2001, where she's influenced a generation of designers and filmmakers. Her work has traveled the globe, earning recognition at major film festivals and proving that Indian animation can compete on the world stage. What sets Ranade apart is her distinctive blend of design sensibility, illustration expertise, and narrative innovation—she's not just directing films, she's creating complete visual worlds. Her contributions have helped elevate animation in Indian cinema beyond just children's content into something more artistically ambitious and culturally resonant. Films like Naja Goes to School and Mani's Dying showcase her range, tackling different themes while maintaining that signature visual elegance. Whether it's her work for Channel 4 in the UK or her homegrown Indian projects, Ranade continues to push boundaries and remind us that there's so much more that animation can do in Bollywood.