Kids
‘Ghatothkach’ is the next character in animation
NEW DELHI: The success of animation films ‘Pandavas’, ‘Hanuman’ and ‘Shri Krishna’ has made filmmakers realize that Indian audiences accept characters from our epics.
And it is also clear that the character has to be someone with either superhuman powers or extraordinary guts. Expectedly, the next animation film features Ghatothkach, son of Bhim and Hidimbi from the ‘Mahabharata’ as the hero.
‘Ghatothkach’- Master of Magic, lovingly called “Ghattu”, is about the magical escapades of Bhim’s son. The film will not only have magic, action, romance, comedy, and fantasy and but also foot-tapping songs.
The film has been directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao who has been the director of several internationally acclaimed films, experimenting with unique subjects and platforms over a span of 50 years and across 60-odd films in his career. He is known for his innovative children’s films “Little John” and “Son of Alladin” a 3-D animated film. Other films include the dialogue-less film ‘Pushpak’ with Kamal Hassan and Amala, ‘Appu Raja’ again with Kamal Hassan, and ‘Mayuri’ on Sudhachandran’s own story.
Shemaroo’s Vice-President Heren Gada said in a statement here that ‘As a content house, creation of content is the next step of us. In line with this strategy, we have ventured into creation of live-action and animation among other content. We look to bring unique entertainment genres across the various platforms that audience will love to consume.’
Smita Maroo, Vice-President of the Animation Division at Shemaroo, said: ‘we were looking for some innovative project when we came across Director –Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. Mr. Rao mentioned that he was directing “Ghatothkach” which was under production at the Hyderabad-based Sun Animatics. The character of Ghatothkach and the script brought out the inner child in us and we were totally fascinated’.
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.
