Kids
‘Kahani Masters’: In search of a storyteller
MUMBAI: Give a paper and a pen to a child and he/she will surprise you. The curious-young minds grasping everything around them have thousands of stories to tell.
And who better will be able to understand this than the brand, most kids relate to? Disney channel through its new initiative titled ‘Kahani Masters’ is giving these young minds a chance to tell their story to the whole wide world.
Targeted at the kids between the age-group of four-14 years, the eight month long initiative extends its philosophy of four main key values that are: express yourself, believe in yourself, follow your dreams and celebrate family.
Elaborating on the thorough process behind the initiative Disney India executive director – marketing for kids channels, consumer products, retail, publishing and franchise, Bikram Duggal says, “Disney channel wants to help kids’ grow. If kids grow up believing in themselves, then they can find solutions. Creativity and imagination is the start of being a confident human being.”
As part of ‘Kahani Masters’, all one has to do is to let their imagination free and write a story of their choice and send. The entries will be judged by Dhimant Vyas (veteran animation film designer) and Vaibhav Kumaresh (credited for making Jet Set Go’s animation promos). The five best stories will be made into a short film.
For this, the network has associated itself with one of the biggest animation company, Toonz Animation. The selected five children will go to the company’s headquarters in Trivandrum, where they will undergo a three-day workshop with the top animators. The youngsters will then direct the animators on how their stories should unfold. The idea behind ‘Kahani Masters’ is that it will help polish the flair of storytelling and detailing in kids.
The competition, which began on 14 July and run till 12 August, will be riding high on school children’s hopes across six cities. The initiative is being promoted across all Disney network as well as YouTube and Facebook. The channel will be spending 50-60 per cent of the total cost in marketing the initiative.
Come September, and ‘Kahaani Masters’ will enter the next level. The five selected stories will move into production phase, where the work of the kids will be converted in to full-fledged animation of two to three minutes. The movie will then see a grand premiere on Disney Channel in January 2015.
“With the wonderful partnership with Disney – the unparalleled story tellers in this segment, we are sure we will be able to tickle the creative bones of the kids all over the country and give them an opportunity to tell their stories and make them come to life through the powerful medium of animation,” says Toonz Animation CEO Jay Kumar.
So, all the kids out there let your imagination go wild and write an original story to mesmerise the world.
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.
