Kids
BBC introduces documentary shows for UK kids
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC has announced that its children’s programme Newsround, which it says is still the only dedicated daily news service for children in the UK, is to screen Newsround Investigates.
This is a half-hour documentarie series and takes an in-depth look at issues affecting children’s lives. It kicks off next month.
Newsround Investigates is a half-hour documentary format for children on BBC One and, for the first time in its 34-year history, the award-winning programme has been extended to 30 minutes.
In the first programme, Lizo Mzimba and leading criminologist David Wilson take a look at the alarming scale of arson attacks committed by schoolchildren.
This documentary talks to some of the youngsters who commit arson, looks at some of the reasons why they do it and examines the consequences of their actions.
Every year, around 90,000 children in England and Wales are affected by arson. Every week, there are around 20 fires in schools and most of them are started by children with some connection to the school.
School fires traditionally happen when schools are empty, particularly in the summer holidays. But increasing numbers of these fires are now occurring in school hours.
Newsround Investigates speaks to children whose schools have been burnt down, children who have been injured in fires and children who have deliberately started fires.
It also visits various anti-arson schemes across the country, such as the first-ever fire fighter embedded in a school.
The show also questions why less than 200 schools in England and Wales have sprinkler systems when the problem of fires in schools is so great.
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.
