Kids
Impending Disney entry shakes competition out of lethargy
The impending entry of Disney Channel in the country seems to have shaken the competition out of a stupor.
Archrival Cartoon Network revamped its prime time programming band last week, in a bid to get older audiences hooked to animation. And now, the distant third channel in the reckoning, Nickelodeon is gearing up to face the Disney challenge. Jimmy Neutron is Nick’s answer to Mickey & Donald’s imminent official arrival in the country.
Jimmy Neutron:Boy Genius makes his debut on 22 December with a series of one minute animated segments to be followed by music videos from the movie, leading to its TV series premiere later next year. Neutron is Nickelodeon’s first 3D, computer graphics imagery animated character, and the channel’s first property to be developed as a simultaneous multi media franchise.
Cartoon Network got into preparation mode very early. It jettisoned its Turner Network Television movie block earlier this year to become a 24 hour cartoon channel. And it is planning to go one step further: it is talking about launching other regional language channel services, starting with Tamil in the not-so-distant future. The channel has also planned a toon party of sorts in Mumbai on 25 November to attract some more media attention to its toon stars.
All their efforts may pale in front of Disney’s grand plans to spend $30 million in India. It is, however, yet to respond to its Indian partner for other ventures, the Modi Entertainment Network group, which has said it would like Disney to get a no-objection certificate from it before venturing alone into India.
Disney is scheduled to launch all its famous cartoons in Hindi on the proposed 24 hour pay channel. It may use most of its estimated 400 odd hours of its dubbed library, accumulated over four years of airing translated and dubbed shows on DD, Zee and Sony.
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.
