Kids
After Tamil & Telugu, Toon Disney goes Hindi from 1 September
MUMBAI: Following the launch of Toon Disney in Tamil and Telugu, Walt Disney Television International (India) is now launching the channel with 24 hours of Hindi feed from 1 September.
The 24 Hindi feed channel is being launched keeping in mind the company’s commitment to localisation. In fact, India is the first market in the Asia Pacific region to introduce a Toon Disney channel in December last year. The channel was launched in three languages – English, Tamil and Telugu.
“With the launch of the 24 hour Toon Disney feed, we are completing the localisation of the Disney brand in India. There is very little age appropriate animation available in the kids space in India and we feel that Toon Disney will serve that need gap,” said Walt Disney Television International (India) managing director Rajat Jain.
“As the world leader in kids and family entertainment, we have a tremendous responsibility to India’s vast and diverse TV viewing population. It was clear at the launch that we needed to launch a 24 hour Hindi Toon Disney to cater to the under-served kids television needs of audiences across the country. Audience response to Toon Disney in the South (in Tamil and Telugu feeds) further encouraged us to launch the Hindi feed in less than nine months of our launch,” said Jain.
Throwing some data, Jain said that current television viewing data reveals that approximately 17 per cent of kids in the age group 4 – 14 years in the Hindi speaking market (HSM) view children’s television and spend 10 times as much time on general entertainment channels (GECs). With 5400 episodes dubbed across Hindi, Tamil and Telugu for year one and close to 1800 episodes in Hindi alone, Toon Disney will significantly enhance age-appropriate viewing options for kids who prefer watching in regional channels.
“There are 350 million kids in India below the age of 14 and a further 100 million pre-school kids below the age of four. It is a huge market, which is dramatically under-served,” said Jain.
The company will be pushing the Hindi feed Toon Disney with a vigorous marketing effort through an outdoor, online and print campaign. Direct mailers to the media fraternity will be sent out to generate awareness, apart from ads in cable and trade magazines. “The 360 degree marketing campaign around Toon Disney is being undertaken to create viewer and trade touch points. The festive season is approaching and it is a time of huge activity in the media and television industry. We feel it is the right time to launch Toon Disney in Hindi,” said Jain.
He also stressed on the fact that the Tamil and Telugu Toon Disney channels in the South were a huge success citing that 18 out of the Top 50 kids shows in the South were on Toon Disney last week. Apart from that, kids in the South also spent the most amount of time on the channel, when compared to other channels.
As per Tam data for the first 30 weeks of 2005, age group 4 – 14 years all India market, the channel share of Toon Disney was 2.5 per cent. Whereas the market leader continues to be Cartoon Network with a share of 55.6 per cent. The Disney Channel on the other hand, enjoyed a channel share of 6.2 per cent.
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.
