Kids
Pika-boost for Titans as Pokémon powers up 2025 fan experience
MUMBAI: Gotta catch that crowd! The Gujarat Titans got a supercharged fan boost this IPL season courtesy of Pokémon. As part of an electrifying tie-up for the 2025 league, Pikachu turned up in full Titans gear, spreading sparks from grassroots warm-ups to stadium selfies. The yellow mascot didn’t just show up he showed out. Ahead of the season, Pokémon integrated with the franchise’s Junior Titans programme, a unique under-14 initiative held across five cities in Gujarat. The big moment? A surprise visit by Pikachu himself at the Ahmedabad centre, leading warm-up drills to the upbeat rhythm of Japan’s Radio Taiso Number One, much to the delight of the young cricketers.
During the league, Pokémon took over the Narendra Modi Stadium, with a vibrant booth drawing in over 42,000 visitors across seven home matches. Kids collected free Pikachu stickers, posed for photos with the mascot, and watched their yellow hero dance and dazzle in a Gujarat Titans jersey.
Some lucky fans from the Junior Titans squad were also invited to meet Pikachu on game day, a crossover moment that blurred the lines between fantasy and fandom.
“From the Junior Titans initiative to in-stadium experiences, young fans were excited to interact with Pikachu in Gujarat Titans colours,” said Gujarat Titans COO Colonel Arvinder Singh. “It added a unique dimension to our 2025 campaign.”
The action spilled beyond the pitch. At Nexus One mall in Ahmedabad, Pokémon hosted a ‘Pokémon Fiesta’, featuring dance shows and games, while Pokémon GO players spotted Gujarat Titans logos on in-game Poké Stops across the city.
The Pokémon Company corporate officer Susumu Fukunaga noted: “We were able to tap into a new audience we hadn’t reached before. From young cricketers to fans in Ahmedabad, the response was energising.”
With the Titans reaching the Playoffs, and Pikachu stealing hearts at every turn, this unexpected collab proved one thing: cricket and cartoons make a shockingly good team.
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.
