Indian cinema has come a long way in terms of technological advancements, particularly in the Telugu film industry. Over the years, visionary directors, skilled technicians, and state-of-the-art studios in Hyderabad have continuously elevated the viewing experience for moviegoers. Now, a major leap forward has been taken with the launch of India’s most advanced motion capture facility – the A&M MoCap Lab.

Located at Annapurna Studios, which is owned by actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, the lab is a joint venture with Baahubali producer Shobu Yarlagadda’s Mihira Visual Labs and technology partner Animatrik Film Design. The facility was inaugurated by the iconic filmmaker SS Rajamouli, who shared exciting news about its capabilities.

Rajamouli revealed that several key sequences of his upcoming film Varanasi, starring Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, were shot using this cutting-edge technology. According to Rajamouli, the results have been outstanding, and this marks a significant shift for Indian cinema. Previously, filmmakers like Rajamouli had to depend on Hollywood studios to achieve such advanced cinematic techniques. With the establishment of A&M MoCap Lab, Indian filmmakers can now create world-class motion capture scenes without relying on foreign infrastructure.

This is not the first time Rajamouli has collaborated with Annapurna Studios to introduce innovative technology. Earlier, the studio became home to India’s first Dolby cinema processing facility. As Indian filmmakers continue to create content that rivals global standards and reaches audiences worldwide, technologies like the A&M MoCap Lab will enable them to bring their visions to life with enhanced scene quality.

The lab features state-of-the-art equipment, including a 60-by-40-by-30-foot capture volume, Vicon Valkyrie VK26 cameras offering sub-millimeter tracking precision, and real-time data streaming via Vicon Live. Additionally, the lab integrates Unreal Engine for live virtual production previsualization and includes high-resolution facial performance capture with stereo head-mounted camera units. With this technology, Indian cinema is ready to break free from Hollywood's influence and build its own future in global filmmaking.