Kids
Disney finally settles feud with founder’s nephew
MUMBAI: Truce at last. A bitter two-year battle between two “disenfranchised” former directors and the Walt Disney Company has ended. As part of the agreement that has been thrashed out, the late Walt Disney’s nephew Roy Disney and Stanley P Gold have agreed to dismiss all their pending lawsuits against the Little Big Mouse.
A joint announcement made yesterday says that Disney and Gold have agreed not to run a rival slate of directors or submit shareholder resolutions for the next five years. In return, Roy Disney has been made director emeritus and a consultant of the company.
The brief announcement also affirmed the company’s “commitment to the rotation of committee members and chairpersons on its Board committees as currently required by the company’s corporate governance guidelines.”
The key mover in getting this long-festering sore in Disney’s side sorted out was CEO-elect Bob Iger (he replaces Michael Eisner on 1 October, one year before Eisner’s contract expires). The agreement was reportedly reached after a number of meetings between Iger and the long-time two Eisner-baiters.
Roy Disney’s problems with the workings at the company his uncle founded date as far back as 1977 which was when he resigned as an executive due to disagreements with his colleagues’ decisions at the time.
When the board of directors rejected Disney’s request for an extension of his term as board member, he announced his resignation on 30 November, 2003, citing “serious differences of opinion about the direction and style of management” in the company. He then issued a letter accusing Eisner of mismanaging the company, neglecting the studio’s animation division, failures with ABC, timidity in the theme park business, instilling a corporate mentality in the executive structure, turning the Walt Disney Company into a “rapacious, soul-less” company, and of refusing to establish a clear succession plan.
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.
