NEW DELHI :To add a sparkle to the Diwali celebrations this year, Cartoon Network will bring alive the epic tale of the Ramayan with the launch of Ramayan-The Legend of Prince Ram on 5 October 2002.

The feature, an adaptation of Valmiki's Ramayan, has been produced in Japan with technical collaboration from India. It is a fusion of the MANGA school of animation from Japan and the artistic style of the renowned Indian painter Ravi Varma, claims the channel. Well known Bollywood actors like Shatrughan Sinha, Amrish Puri and Arun Govil have dubbed for the Hindi version, while Rahul Bose and Cyrus Broacha, amongst others, have lent their voices for the English version.

The two-hour feature length animation will be telecast in half hour episodes at 4 pm every Saturday in October leading up to Diwali. On Diwali day ( 4 November), the channel will telecast the entire animation film starting noon.

"This is part of our endeavour to build up the Cartoon Network brand which we want to be the part of every lifestyle of viewers here," says Turner Entertainment Networks Asia Inc, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Ian Diamond. "The channel's aggressive localisation strategy, of which sourcing local content is an integral part, has led to strong growth in ratings and viewership", he adds.

"I am delighted that our widely acclaimed production Ramayan, will be telecast on the Cartoon Network, am also happy that through Cartoon Network we will be able to familiarise Indian kids about this wonderful epic," says the feature's co-director,Ram Mohan.

Apart from Ramayan, the channel also has animation products like Sindabad and The Pandavas to increase the localisation of the channel.