Kids
Sony Yay! rings in 2021 with a mega programming line-up
MUMBAI: The dawn of a new year always brings with it a renewed sense of excitement, vigour, and freshness. Sony Yay! is all set to start the year high on enthusiasm to entertain young audiences with an array of fresh episodes and movies. Adding the happy to the new year with new content and friends, the channel will leave kids in splits with new adventures of the ghostly trio — Thakela, Pakela, and Bhoot Boss, in Paap-O-Meter along with Backkom, a show themed around the antics of Bernard, a polar bear.
Wrapping up 2020 on a high note, Sony Yay! clocked in 90+ hours of fresh programming by existing shows and 15 movies in diverse genres across mythology, chase comedy, ghost comedy, etc. The mega programming line-up culminated the year memorably, with four fantastic movies featuring the kids favourite Yay! toons Honey-Bunny, in the form of Honey Bunny in The World Tour Challenge, Honey The Real Superstars, Honey Bunny, and the Alien Spaceship, Honey Bunny in Hollywood along with new episodes of Honey Bunny Ka Jholmaal, also available in two new regional languages (Kannada and Gujarati). While the kids' favourite cat duo headlined the line-up with their funny antics, Oscar Ab Bas Kar, a comedy centered around a lizard living in a desert, left the kids in splits. Delivering ace content in the kids' preferred language, the channel added Kannada and Gujarati feeds to its offering, making it available in nine regional languages.
All set to step into the new year with a renewed sense of cheer and joy, the Yay! mania will kickstart 18 January onwards across all Sony Yay! platforms. New episodes of Paap-O-Meter will air from 18 January, Monday to Friday onwards, and Backkom – a brand new show will launch on 25 January, Monday to Friday.
Sony Pictures Networks India, kids' genre business head Leena Lele Dutta said, “Kids across the country are spending a lot of time watching and engaging with diverse programming. As a responsible platform in the category, Sony Yay! constantly aims to deliver fresh concepts in captivating formats that push the envelope. Showcasing a high sense of innovation, these additions shall serve the rising demand for entertaining and engaging content in the new year for kids. Through this eclectic mix of old toons and new, we are set to make the viewing experience for kids, all the more fun and fruitful.”
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.
