Kids
UTV hopes to double revenues from content business
MUMBAI: UTV expects to garner Rs 1.2 billion from its TV content production business in the current fiscal.
“Movies will fetch us around Rs 75-80 crore (Rs 750-800 million). Our projection from Hungama TV is between Rs 25-40 crore,” said UTV chief executive officer Ronnie Screwvala at a media briefing announcing the launch of the company’s kids channel hungama TV.
“Our focus will be in three areas – TV content production, movies and broadcasting. We expect to grow vertically in each of these segments,” Screwvala added.
Revenue from TV content business was Rs 650 million in 2003-04 while movies accounted for over Rs 220 million. “We will have earnings reflected from four movies this year. The surge will also come from our movie distribution business,” said Screwvala.
Commenting on the much-delayed initial public offering (IPO), Screwvala said that it would happen after Hungama TV had settled down. “It is better to have a pie in both the content as well as broadcasting business. There is no immediate fund requirement as we sold our entire stake in Vijay TV to Star. We plan to have our IPO within 2-3 months,” he said.
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.
