Kids
Bilingual Hungama set for August launch
MUMBAI: Hungama, the bilingual (Hindi and Tamil) kids’ channel floated by UTV and to be distributed by Star India, will begin airing by ‘a Sunday in August 2004’, says a confident UTV CEO Ronnie Screwvala.
The channel, that fills the need for a children’s channel in Star’s bouquet will be priced between Rs 4 and 8, says Star India COO Sameer Nair. At a media briefing to announce the five year distribution alliance between the two entities in Mumbai today, Nair reiterated that Hungama’s coming on board the Star platform would be no hindrance to the an alliance with the Disney channels that are also poised for an India entry. “Talks are on with Disney and we are definitely interested,” he said.
Nair also said that talks are on with a European media house for bringing a similar channel to India on the Star platform, but that the deal was yet to be firmed up.
A split feed would be provided to provide Hungama TV in Tamil from day one for southern audiences, Screwvala said. The multi genre kids channel, will also kick off a nationwide kids’ captains hunt this weekend that will get together a batch of children who would act as the advisory board of directors which will oversee the kind of programmes that Hungama will eventually have.
The Hungama team, headed by COO Purnendu Bose, has already screened 274 concepts, out of which 60 projects have been commissioned for pilots.
Both Nair and Screwvala pointed out that while other kids’ channels in India have satisfied the need for animation content, original content in Hindi that caters to the live action, adventure, fantasy and thriller genres for the 315 million under 15 kids in the country, is still lacking on the existing channels.
UTV, which will also create some content inhouse for the homegrown channel, has thus far produced the hugely popular (thrice as popular as the highest rated show on Cartoon Network, according to Nair) Shaka Laka Boom Boom, for Star Plus, and Nair believes that Hungama should work, as this proves that ‘Hindi language fictional programming does work.’
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.
