Kids
Children watching Sesame Street in Kosovo more likely to respect other ethnicities: Study
MUMBAI: The local adaptation of Sesame Street in Kosovo, Rruga Sesam (Albanian language) and Ulica Sezam (Serbian language) is making a significant impact on how children view other ethnicities in their communities, their literacy and socio-cultural knowledge.
Children who watched the show were 74 per cent more likely to demonstrate positive attitude towards children from different ethnic backgrounds than those who didn‘t, according to a recent study.
The test also concluded that children who viewed the series were more likely to express a willingness to interact with children of a different race/ethnicity.
Fluent Public Opinion & Market Research (New York), in collaboration with SMMRI (Kosovo) and Sesame Workshop, conducted a randomized controlled trial of 536 five-to-six-year-old children across different demographic groups in Kosovo. Over a six week period, half viewed the series while the rest did not.
The researchers tested children’s pre and post exposure learning on three of the curricular areas presented in the program. These areas included respect and understanding, math, and socio-emotional learning.
Among five-year-olds, children who viewed the series could recite more new words in languages other than their own than those that did not.
Says Sesame Workshop’s VP international research and outreach Dr Charlotte Cole, “We are pleased that through Rruga Sesam/Ulica Sezam we are helping to provide a critical foundation for building cognitive skills and promoting cultural values in children at a young age.The empirical evidence documented in this study demonstrates that television can encourage respect and provide a window of understanding that can have a marked effect on children’s lives. We are both thrilled and humbled to know our work is making a positive difference.”
Rruga Sesam and Ulica Sezam airs throughout Kosovo on RTK, and is also broadcast regionally by two Serbian language broadcasters, TV Most Zvecan and TV Herc Strpce.
Rruga Sesam and Ulica Sezam series is produced by Sesame Workshop, in collaboration with local partner CMB.
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.
