India, June 21 -- It's a strange realisation - there's now a whole generation that never grew up watching traditional 2D Disney animation. They didn't hit pause on a DVD and watch Ariel's hair glitch in mid-flow or see Aladdin freeze with half a smirk. That slightly imperfect, hand-drawn charm is what once made Disney a household name, and now, after more than a decade, it might just be making a comeback.

Last fall, Jennifer Lee handed over creative reins to Zootopia (2016) and Encanto (2021) co-director Jared Bush, who stepped in as chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios - a role widely regarded as the most influential job in animation today. And while he's steering Disney into the future with upcoming releases, Bush al...