Kids
Nick to go Tamil, Telugu
MUMBAI: After growing up in the Hindi speaking markets, kids channel Nick is planning to speak Tamil and Telugu as part of its localisation strategy.
“Our focus for 2009 will be to expand our footprints into the regional zone with dubbed content as not only does it open up a huge opportunity to inflate our brand presence but also enlarges the scope for advertisers. We plan to initially target and tap the Tamil and Telugu space as they are the biggest markets in the South,” Nick India VP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria tells Indiantelevision.com.
Nick currently has a presence in these markets through syndicated content to Sun TV‘s Chutti TV. “We will stop syndicating our content once we launch in these language markets. Some of our shows like Dora-the Explorer are running on Chutti TV,” says Jaipuria.
“With the market currently under the recession spell, advertisers have become very wary about their marketing spends. We need to tap qualitative audiences that will create brand value for advertisers. To do that we will initiate various on ground initiatives and below-the-line activities and integrate them with the brands,” Jaipuria elaborates.
Also, in a bid to tap advertisers beyond the kids’ space, the channel plans to integrate the Nick brand with products in a way that will not only bring in more value for advertisers through attractive packaging but also promise them a better return on investment.
“The kids’ genre currently enjoys only 7 per cent viewership of the entire media pie and the ad revenue that it generates is less than 2 per cent of the entire share. Hence, we aim to up our revenue share by tapping in advertisers beyond the kids‘ space especially through embedded product integration and promotional licensing,” explains Jaipuria.
Nick also plans to double its consumer products for licensing and merchandising by 2009-year-end. “Right now we have 12 Nick products across various consumer categories. We plan to double that number by 2009-end,” says Jaipuria.
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.
