Kids
Disney holds Hannah Montana Pop Star auditions in Mumbai
MUMBAI: Disney Channel‘s Hannah Montana -The Big Pop Star Dream auditions were held on 24 May in Mumbai.
The closed door auditions selected 400 finalists from over 2000 kids. These kids sang and grooved to Bollywood hits and songs from Disney Channel Original Movies – High School Musica 1 and High School Musical 2.
These performances will be reviewed by Anushka Manchanda, the pop star of the VIVA band fame.
The final winner will feature in a music video that will play out for a month prior to the new season show of Hannah Montana. The winner will also get to meet Hannah Montana in US and feature on the cover of the Disney Adventures magazine.
Disney Channel is touring Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata to “help tweens discover the star within themselves”. The channel will fly the four semi-finalists to Mumbai to give them a complete Hannah Montana makeover and record the Hannah Montana title track in Hindi. The vignettes of these four semi finalists‘ performances will then be aired on Disney Channel for an audience poll.
Walt Disney Television International (India) AD and SVO Antoine Villeneuve said, “Hannah Montana – The Big Pop Star dream offers kids across the nation an opportunity to express themselves and pursue their dreams. We are extremely happy to see so many tweens across the country emulate Hannah Montana while they demonstrate their passion for music and dance.”
One lucky fan among the Disney Channel viewers, who participates in the voting to select the final winner, will also win a chance to accompany the contest winner to meet Hannah Montana in the US.
Other prizes to be won include guitars, accessories and loads of Hannah merchandise.
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.
