Who says animation is only for children? Indian-born American filmmaker and showrunner Adi Shankar defies the odds by going against the grain. As the sequel to Devil May Cry prepares to stream on Netflix from May 12, the producer, who moved from independent Hollywood films to adult animation, tells mid-day that with language and cultural barriers dwindling and people eager to lap up worldwide content, the territorial gatekeeping some studios have had is crumbling.

“Netflix and YouTube built a global marketplace for media. It’s pulling cultures closer together faster. They can give your work global distribution and marketing support on day one,” says Shankar, adding that if the story is strong, it can find its audience anywhere. “These platforms connect the world, and when something hits, it hits everywhere,” he adds.