Kids
Cartoon Network sees localisation as key to its fortunes
Continuing its push to localise content for India, kids’ channel Cartoon Network is looking at acquiring the television rights to more properties similar to its recent aquisitions of two animation films: Pandavas – The Five Warriors and Sinbad – Beyond The Veil of Mists. Produced by Chennai-based Pentamedia Graphics Limited, the series had their Indian television premiere on Cartoon Network in September.
“We are in discussions with a number of animation producers in India but nothing has been finalised as yet,” Jennifer Fletcher, senior V-P, ad sales, Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, said.
Fletcher, who was in Mumbai for a meeting of Turner’s ad sales team, spoke to indiantelevision.com on Tuesday. She said it was the localisation effort that dictated the increase in Hindi programming on the channel which currently stands at nine hours a day. For the southern markets, Cartoon Network provides two hours of programming in Tamil.
And emphasising how important India was to Cartoon Network, Fletcher pointed out that 50 per cent of the toon channel’s advertising revenues across Asia came from India. Queried as what were the expectations on the ad sales front for the year, Soumitra Saha, VP ad sales, said that even after factoring in inflation, Cartoon Network expected to see a 10 per cent revenue growth this year. Though Saha refused to give any numbers, industry estimates indicate that ad revenues this year will be in the region of Rs 220 million.
Fletcher clarified that there had been no drop in the rates the channel was charging when it was pointed out that with the economy in reverse gear, discounts and bonus spots had become the norm.
Saha said the advertising client base was steadily expanding and pointed to Korean car major Daewoo, software education company NIIT, textbook publishers S Chand, Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Killer Jeans as some of the new companies on Cartoon Network.
Saha said the network was looking at customised promotional activities to push the channel. There were many activities organised around important days in the school and college kids’ calender like Teacher’s Day, Father’s Day, Rose Day, etc. he said.
Queried as to what the channel had lined up for Diwali, Saha said a Dream Diwali promotion was currently on which would give 250 kids the chance to meet their favourite toon characters, among other things.
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.
