Kids
Manish Purohit appointed as India head of Disney Publishing Worldwide
MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company (India) has appointed Manish Purohit as the head of their publishing business. The announcement was made by Disney India managing director Rajat Jain.
Purohit will be based in Mumbai and will report to Jain. In this role, he will shoulder the responsibility of strategic growth and expansion of the company’s publishing business in India. He will spearhead new product launches and also implement marketing and promotions program with a long-term vision in this business. Purohit will closely work with key retailers and licensees to increase the retail visibility of Disney’s publishing portfolio.
“The publishing industry in India is a multi-crore industry and has a phenomenal annual growth rate of 30 per cent. India is a priority market for the Walt Disney Company as part of its focus on global expansion. With focused efforts in the children’s retail and book space, Manish’s expertise and industry know-how will be crucial to our publishing business. I am certain that with his drive, our publishing business in India will optimise the brand’s presence in the market with a renewed consumer focus,” said Jain.
Purohit comes to Walt Disney with 12 years of diverse work experience from the publishing industry. In his last assignment, he was heading the Indian subsidiary of Encyclopedia Britannica. He is credited with being one of the youngest head of a subsidiary company of Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. In his earlier assignments he has also played important roles at Business Standard and The Times of India Group.
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.
