Kids
Disney launches ‘Smart Beginnings’ and ‘School Skills’ workbooks
MUMBAI: Disney Publishing Worldwide India has launched two new ranges of workbooks- ‘Smart Beginnings‘ for preschoolers aged between two-four years and ‘School Skills‘ for kids between 5-7 years. The books aim to encourage early childhood learning in fun and engaging way.
‘Smart Beginnings‘ features locally inspired content and themes which resonates with local kids. ‘School Skills‘, aimed at older children, features Disney‘s favourite stories and characters.
“‘Smart Beginnings‘ and ‘School Skills‘ are products that parents will trust and kids will love. The books inspire kids to read and learn by presenting content in a relevant, compelling and enjoyable format for our young readers,” said Disney Consumer Products India regional director Roshini Bakshi.
Starting this month, Disney will release ten new titles of ‘Smart Beginnings‘ and ‘School Skills‘ workbooks every quarter. ‘Smart Beginnings‘ titles for this quarter include numbers, shapes, letters, patterns and colours. ‘School Skills‘ titles, to be launched this quarter will include evolved math and english concepts such as uppercase, lowercase words, vocabulary, addition and subtraction.
Available in English, the workbooks will feature Disney characters including Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Disney Princess and Disney Fairies.
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.
