Kids
Disney board backs Eisner, Iger
MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company board meeting couldn’t spring any surprises. The embattled chief executive officer Michael Eisner got a breather as the company’s board of directors extended him their full support.
The major outcome of the two-day retreat at Disney’s headquarters in Burbank was the decision to divide powers between chairman George Mitchell and Eisner.
Meanwhile, the ice-cold approach of Disney director board has provoked Comcast Corporation to pull out from their ambitious bid for Disney. Comcast had earlier made an unsolicited bid for the company. But the Disney board declined to make any reference to the bid in their statement.
Disney’s board also gave their full backing to Eisner’s team of executives. The board agreed that they had a discussion on CEO and senior management succession plans during the meeting, but refused to divulge details.
“The board continues to have complete confidence in Michael Eisner, (chief operating officer) Bob Iger and the senior management team and in their strategic growth plan to continue to strengthen the company’s position as the global leader in quality family entertainment,” the board said in a statement.
Chairman George Mitchell will be in charge of presiding over board meetings, setting the agenda and coordinating the board’s review of management’s performance. The board in a statement said it had approved the division of duties between Eisner and new chairman George Mitchell, and that Eisner’s management authority was unchanged.
Eisner had been holding the twin-posts of the chairman and CEO before the 3 March’s investors’ meet stripped him of his position as chairman. Since then, he has been under pressure from some high-profile shareholders.
The rebel shareholders have been accusing the company of damaging the shareholder value by making poor investment decisions and over-exploiting the company’s animation heritage.
Disney has returned the blame pointing out the record studio performance they made last year plus forecasts of an earnings-growth of more than 40 per cent in the current fiscal.
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.
