Kids
‘Sofia The First: The Floating Palace’ premiers on Disney Channel and Disney Junior
MUMBAI: Sofia and her family take to the high seas for a royal vacation in the first-ever “Sofia the First” primetime special, “Sofia the First: The Floating Palace,” premiering Sunday, on Disney Channel and Disney Junior on Saturday, 18 January. The undersea adventure, in which Sofia is magically transformed into a mermaid, features a special appearance by Princess Ariel from “The Little Mermaid,” and also introduces a new character named Oona, a young mermaid.
“Sofia the First: The Floating Palace” takes Sofia and her family on an extraordinary journey to Merriway Cove, where Sofia meets a young mermaid named Oona. After helping Oona untangle her fin from a net, Sofia’s magical amulet transforms her into a mermaid too, allowing her to explore the underwater world with her new friend. During their adventure, Sofia learns that mermaids mistrust humans and are angry that her family’s floating palace is in their cove. When Oona is captured by a horrible sea monster, Sofia – with a little help from Princess Ariel – must find a way to save her and create harmony between their two worlds
The simulcast of the premiere of the made-for-television movie “Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess” on Disney Channel and Disney Junior reached out to more than 4 million audiences (CS 4+) of which 2.3 million were kids (CS 4-14) across All India. Disney Channel ranked #1 across all TV during its time slot garnering a 26% share of viewing within the kids genre among all kids (CS 4-14 ABC) and 36% share of viewing among younger girls (CS ABC F 4-9). The series – Sofia the First launched on 24th August 2013 and has reached out to almost 25 million audiences during Sept-Dec 2013 (Source: TAM; TG: CS 4+; Period: wk 36-52, all days, 0700-2300 hrs; Market: All India)
Fuelled by the popularity of Sofia, Disney Consumer Products currently has a line of Sofia branded products such as puzzles, scooters and will soon be launching an interesting range of ‘back to school’ merchandise such as school bags, colouring equipments, stationery sets and will launch Sofia bicycles, rainwear and footwear as well.
Come, be a part of Sofia’s aquatic quest on Saturday, 18 January at 11:00 am on Disney Channel and Disney Junior.
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.
