Kids
Hungama to add 90 hours of original content this summer
MUMBAI: It’s that time of the year when kids say goodbye to schools, books and welcome the long summer vacation. It is not just an important part of the year for the kids, but also for the kids television genre.
One such is Hungama, which is courting its viewers with different customized offerings to have a bigger bite in the viewership pie, this summer.
It can be noted that the kids genre accounted for 7.3 per cent of the viewership share in 2014, making it the largest genre after Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) and movie channels.
This summer, Hungama has a special strategy lined up to engage kids with a series of new shows and movies, spread across successful genres of action-adventure comedy. The channel will also add a new genre with chase comedies.
Disney India media networks content and communications VP Vijay Subramaniam says, “If I have to replace the entire set of fun adjectives in one word, I will call it Hungama.”
To stay ahead of the curve, the channel is set to add 90 hours of original programming to its kitty across the summer months. “That has been our constant endeavour on Hungama. While we give our audience innovative content we also increase the variety of offerings on our channel,” informs Subramaniam.
The channel will have three major highlights this summer. The first in line is Pokemon, to which the channel will give a new dimension. With the ever-growing popularity of the character and the action-adventure comedy genre, Hungama is launching a new series in the same genre along with presenting Pokemon in long format for the very first time on Indian television with the premiere of Pokemon movie, which will air on 18 April at 12 pm.
“Moreover, Pokemon has got maximum fan following. Week-on-week and month-on-month the numbers are only getting stronger,” reasons Subramaniam.
A perfect complement to Pokemon, the channel will launch action-adventure series Beyblade on 13 April at 1.30 pm. “This is another demonstration of the fact that the channel is innovating and pushing content, which is active in the space of game play both in the world of television and real world. Pokemon and Beyblade will make a good compliment on-air,” asserts Subramaniam.
On 3 May, Hungama will launch the third season of Vir: The Robot Boy, which is a series with a different identity in the space.
Hungama has also been developing local animated series. The channel is set to launch a fundamental block, the offering for local animation shows that will be launched at the afternoon band. The three shows that will be launched are Bunty aur Billy, Hum Chik Bum and Eena Meena Deeka (working title), which will go on air on 18 May.
As per reports, localization of content on kids channels continues with the average ratio for international to local content at 60:40 currently compared to 90:10 in 2008.
In 2014, Hungama reached out to 85.7 mn individuals (CS 4+) of which 19.0 mn were kids (CS 4-14 ABC) across all India during summers (AMJ’14).
Kids
Mukta Arts and Green Gold ink MOU to animate iconic film IPs
Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan to spawn animated shows plus features.
MUMBAI: When classic hindi movie meets animation, the result is a fresh reel of nostalgia with a cartoon twist. Mukta Arts Ltd. and Green Gold Animation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on animated shows and feature films drawn from Mukta Arts’ four-decade treasure trove of iconic IPs. The partnership taps Mukta’s SGM Animation Studio launched in 2025 as its dedicated animation and games arm and Green Gold’s proven track record in building scalable, homegrown franchises. Creative teams from both sides have already kicked off discussions, with the first project currently in development.
The slate will draw inspiration from landmark Mukta films including Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Saudagar and Iqbal, plus character-led spin-offs from those universes. The aim is to reimagine these stories for today’s young, global audiences while preserving their emotional core.
Green Gold Animation (home of Chhota Bheem) founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “This partnership with SGM Studios allows us to apply our experience in building long-lasting animation IPs to a truly iconic film catalogue. Together, we aim to create animated worlds that are rooted in these legendary stories, yet designed to connect with today’s young, global audiences.”
Mukta Arts Ltd. filmmaker and founder Subhash Ghai added, “Mukta Arts has always believed in creating stories with lasting emotional value. Through animation, we are extending our IP into a new medium for the next generation.”
In an industry where timeless tales never go out of fashion, this collaboration promises to bring beloved characters back to life with a modern, animated glow proving that some stories are too good to stay in live-action. Stay tuned for the first animated frame to drop.
