Angeline S. Pradhan, aka Angie—yes, that’s me! A Bangalore girl all my life, but technically born in Kumbakonam, the land of temples. Fun fact: Kumbakonam literally means “Pot’s Corner” (thanks to Brahma), and apparently, that pot is still somewhere around.

I grew up enjoying the city life of Bangalore and spent summers in Sakkottai, embracing farm life. Until age 8, I was a happy-go-lucky kid—then I discovered that people can be mean. Turns out, I wasn’t "normal" (whatever that means), and I was constantly falling sick. That’s when childhood started feeling a little less carefree. But thanks to my dad, who filled my life with humor, an over protective elder sister and my mum, who (despite being strict) nurtured my creativity, I found my escape in art.

At 8, I sold my first artwork to Anchor India, and by 1986, O&M Bangalore featured me in their Anchor Needle n Thread magazine. My first payment of ₹200 made me feel like a billionaire! Of course, like all kids, I proudly handed it over to my mum for "safekeeping"… and, well, that was the last I saw of it. Classic childhood moment! But freelancing had me hooked, and there was no looking back. 

Then, at age 12, came the rollercoaster of my life—there was no going back. Hospital stays, surgeries, wheelchairs, crutches, kind (and not-so-kind) doctors, and even a near amputation became my new reality. Home-schooling kept me busy, and I dove into drawing, kolam, and crochet. My schooling? Let’s just say I jumped from 5th to 10th in a flash—wouldn’t recommend it.

At 13 or so, my dad gifted me an Apple Macintosh (in the ‘90s, no less!), sparking my love for design and earning pocket money. That early exposure led me to study and work at Arena Multimedia—remember them?

 

By 19, the hospital visits finally stopped (at least for a while), and I dove headfirst into college life. Then came the big move to Chennai—freedom at last! My parents were worried about my health, but with my sister already there, I got the green light.

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One day, while scanning job ads in the newspaper, I came across Millitoon Animation. I’d always dreamed of working at Pixar, Aardman, or—why not—buying Pixar! I applied for an inbetweener’s job, willing to do anything, even sweep the floors. Instead, I landed a role as a sound editor for 2D animation lip-syncing... until I realized it might just make me go deaf.

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But fate had other plans. That’s where I met Upesh—a guy from Kalimpong who came to work every day on a bicycle, like something out of a fairytale. He actually interviewed me at Millitoon, and somewhere between deadlines and doodles, we fell in love. We got married and eventually started our own studio: The Other Design Studio.

 

Twenty years later, it’s still going strong. We’re in a new place now, living a new adventure in Goa. And yes, we still sweep the floor in our little animation studio.

 

This blog is about all of it—the adventures, the ups and downs, and everything that’s made me me.