Kids
‘No child’s play’ for Disney in India
MUMBAI: Kid’s television behemoth Disney is approaching its second anniversary in India on 17 December and with this, the channel is signing off 2006 with a lot of aggression. In the last two years Disney Channel and Toon Disney have contributed to competition in the kid’s television landscape in India, thus provoking the pioneers Cartoon Network and its sibling Pogo to spruce up their offerings.
In this respect, the most strategic move made by Disney this year was its acquisition of kids GEC channel Hungama TV. UTV recently bid farewell to what it calls its ‘little baby’ and in that same breadth Disney opened its doors to the channel and took control. This consolidation will mark the beginning of a new era for Disney, but will inevitably kindle fierce competition in this space.
Walt Disney Television International (India) executive director production and programming Nachiket Pantvaidya affirms that this landmark will only lay the foundation and provide a spring board for the company’s future plans in India. However, he declined to divulge on the positioning and integration of the new addition into the Disney portfolio.
While Disney was bold enough to select India as the first market in the TV business outside the US to introduce original local production with Vicky Aur Vetaal, the next home grown entity is likely to be announced next month.
Pantvaidya expects that the next year will convert kid’s viewership habits from a ratio of 23:77 kids’ channels versus GEC/sports to a 60:40 ratio of the same. He added that Disney currently cornered the bulk of market share as individually Disney Channel held 18.9 per cent, Southern star Toon Disney 8 per cent and new comer Hungama TV 22 – 23 per cent (Market:HSM, Period:average for November 2006).
As reported earlier, the two Turner players plan to enter the local movie production space as well as put in place a theme park experience next year with Planet Pogo and Cartoon Network Townsville. At the same time rumours are rife in the industry of a new player from the BBC plethora, while Nick is also showing potential of bringing some action to the fore. Commenting on the capability for growth of the category Pantvaidya says that the revenue monetization of the market should be in proportion to its viewership. “Currently, it is highly under monetized from an ad sales point of view. The question is, will the ad pie expand?”
Additionally, Pantvaidya outlines an emerging trend among kids television viewing which is inviting a large number of older girls (10 – 14 year old) as opposed to a previously a male dominated scenario that was attracted to action and cartoon based themes.
In eyeing the ‘tween’ category, he sees the biggest challenge in 2007, as being “to create programming that will resonate culturally with older kids (10-14).”
Presently, the channel has lined up a slew of festive programming with the TV premiere of The Incredibles on Christmas Eve on Disney Channel at 11 am (with a repeat at 7 pm). While on 25 December, Micky’s Once upon a Christmas will air at 12 noon and a special episode of Mickey Mouse Club House: Mickey Saves Santa in the preschool segment on Disney Channel.
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.
