Kids
Discovery Kids brings back ‘Akbar & Birbal’ tales
MUMBAI: Every child in India has grown up on tales of Emperor Akbar and his trusted adviser Birbal and the tradition has continued passing from generation to generation, enthralling young and old listeners alike.
Discovery Kids brings back those tales with its new series Akbar & Birbal airing everyday at 2:00 p.m. The channel will take its viewers to the era of Mughals where they will witness amusing exchanges between Akbar and Birbal.
Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific Pan-Regional ad sales and southeast Asia senior VP and GM -South Asia and head of revenue Rahul Johri said: “Discovery Kids would continue to bring engaging content that inspires children to believe in traditional wisdom and also inculcate moral values in them. Expanding our bouquet of indigenous titles, Akbar & Birbal will entertain the viewers with its clever wit and exciting storytelling.”
Birbal who was in the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar was considered to be one of the best loved figures in the folklore of India. He will be seen outsmarting everyone even the Emperor sometimes by his exceptional wisdom, presence of mind and his excellent problem solving skills.
Entertainingly narrated in three languages English, Hindi and Tamil, this multilingual series will encourage language development in children and also make the experience of listening to stories more enjoyable by offering popular stories in a familiar language. The series consists of beautifully animated and captivatingly narrated stories which bring to life traditional wisdom.
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.
