Bombay's film industry is so prolific, the city is sometimes referred to as "Bollywood," said Mr. Rao.

And while his home city's thriving film business doesn't have a huge niche for animation, he plans to change that in the near future.

"There are a lot of people in India that want to be animators. I realized it that day I got the prize money. All these people were coming along and hugging me-ad if I personified their dreams."