Kids
Disney channels to be available in four languages
MUMBAI: Walt Disney, which launches in India on 17 December, will make available its two channels in local languages, a move seen to widen its appeal to audiences across the Hindi and southern regions of the country.
Its flagship, The Disney Channel (TDC), will have an English and Hindi feed, the two languages which will provide a national base. Being positioned as a family-viewing channel, Walt Disney feels there is no need at this stage to address a state-specific approach across the southern region.
TDC’s sibling channel Toon Disney, which is set to take kids genre leader Cartoon Network head on, will be available in Tamil, Telugu and Hinglish (mix of Hindi, English), according to a source close to the company. When contacted, Walt Disney Television International (India) managing director Rajat Jain did not wish to comment.
The move to dub Toon Disney in the southern languages appears aimed at taking over what could well be termed virgin terrain in the kids viewing segment. Cartoon Network does not have separate feeds so far in the southern languages (a two-hour Tamil band is all it has delved into thus far). Cartoon Network has an English and Hindi language feed.
Other rival channels also have plans to offer separate language feeds. Pogo aims to have 80 per cent of its content dubbed in Hindi by year-end while Nick has an expanded its Hindi band. Hungama TV, a local kids channel in Hindi, plans to offer a Tamil feed as well. Animax from the Sony stable has announced it will have a Hindi feed by April 2005.
Walt Disney will launch its two channels on Wednesday (17 December). The company is waiting for distribution to be in place before it carries out a major promotional burst in mid-January, 2005. One thing that the promotion and marketing will not include of course is recognition related activity. Walt Disneys content has long been available in India as programming blocks in several local language channels across the country.
Star India has inked a deal to distribute the Walt Disney channels in India. The bundled price of the two channels, as reported by indiantelevision.com earlier, is fixed at Rs 12 a month per subscriber.
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.
