Kids
‘Sesame Street’ to be’Gali Gali Simsim;’ launch in mid-2006 on Cartoon Network
MUMBAI: Sesame Street, in its Indian avtaar, is going to be called Gali Gali Simsim and will be launched on Cartoon Network and Pogo possibly towards mid-2006.
While no officials from either Turner or Miditech were willing to talk on the name of the local version of Sesame Street, reliable industry sources confirmed this.
As already reported, Miditech has been roped in as the production house and is in the process of developing the local version of the immensely popular Sesame Street.
An educational research team, which is headed by Dr Asha Singh as research head of Gali Gali Simsim, is in the process of developing an innovative curriculum keeping the Indian kids in mind.
When contacted, Miditech president Niret Alva mentioned that work on new animation characters, puppets and the curriculum was vigorously underway.
When asked as to what Miditech’s vision was as far as the show was concerned, Alva said, “Our vision for the local version of Sesame Street is to build bridges – rural and urban, which means to make rural look cool and exciting to urban kids and vice versa. That is really the challenge of the show.”
“There are a lot of components in the show like animation and live action, all of which have an educational goal but it is not obvious,” said Alva.
Launched in 1968, Sesame Street has been localised in close to 25 – 28 countries – some of them being China (Zhima Jie), Egypt (Alam Simsim), Germany (Sesamstrasse), Israel (Sippuray Sumsum), Jordan (Hikayat Simsim), Mexico (Plaza Sésamo), the Netherlands (Sesamstraat), Palestine (Hikayat Simsim), Russia (Ulitsa Sezam) and South Africa (Takalani Sesame).
Sesame Workshop is also in talks with local production houses and channels in Japan and Bangladesh to create a local version of Sesame Street there.
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.
