Kids
Nick poaches Hejmadi from Turner
MUMBAI: In its bid to build the best team in the kids’ television space and build the Nick brand, MTV Networks India has managed its best poach yet in the form of Turner’s research director.
Pradeep Hejmadi has joined Nick as director, business and operations. Hejmadi, who has spent over four years with Turner India, has, in the words of MTV India MD Alex Kuruvilla, ‘tremendous knowledge of the kids’ market’, and thus brings to Nick the expertise the channel needs for a quick resurrection. Hejmadi, who put in his papers at Turner by mid May, has joined Nick in the last one week.
Kuruvilla says Nick, which has already started undergoing programming changes, would launch several initiatives in the coming months. This is to ensure the channel emerges as a strong contender for the top slot among children’s channels by the year end. Hejmadi’s defection from rival Cartoon Network and Pogo will be a crucial catalyst for Nick’s change of image. Earlier this year, Hejmadi had spearheaded an expert study to gauge the effect of shows on the newly launched indigenous channel Pogo on pre-schoolers.
Hejmadi, who began his career with Times FM in 1994, moved to media planning and buying with the media buying unit of HTA, shifted to Discovery Communications in 1997, before moving to Turner. At Turner, Hejmadi was responsible for CNN, CNN.com, Cartoon Network & Cartoonnetworkindia.com.
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.
