Kid Krrish, the animated superhero, to debut on Cartoon Network

Kid Krrish is all set to join the Cartoon Network super league of globally renowned and loved characters. Film Kraft has partnered with Turner and Toonz Animation to make four animated tele-movies. The first film will premiere on October 2

Sohini Sen | Mumbai | September 18, 2013

(L-R) Hrithik, Rakesh Roshan and Krishna Desai at the launch of Cartoon Network's Kid Krrish

In a first for Indian television, an animated series is going to be launched soon based on a superhero movie. Usually it happens the other way around when movies are based on superhero comic strips or animated series. Kid Krrish, based on the Bollywood mega movie of the same name, will premiere on Cartoon Network on October 2, 2013 at 12 noon.

Film Kraft partnered with Turner and Toonz Animation earlier this year to make four animated tele-movies which will be shown on Cartoon Network through the year. The animated movie will feature a younger Krrish, the popular Indian superhero.

"When Turner entered in 1995, we realised that for anything to work on a children's entertainment channel, it is imperative that the kids can relate to it. From the entertainment point of view, storytelling has to be at the heart of the matter. The magic lies in the details. The hero then can't be older than them by a huge margin. That is why we have had Ben 10 and Chhota Bheem consistently set benchmarks in the kids' genre.  Pogo and Cartoon Network's enduring leadership in the genre is a direct result of our focus on enhancing consumer experience. We aim to do the same yet again with Kid Krrish, a re-imagined adaptation of the popular live action Krrish franchise in animation. Kid Krrish is all set to join the Cartoon Network super league of globally renowned and loved characters, and entertain kids and families across the country,” said Krishna Desai, Sr. Director & Network Head - Kids, South Asia, Turner International India.

Turner was the first to make the channel available in four languages so that it could become locally relevant. Again, Turner was the first to originally produce animation shows in India. It is no surprise then that they decided to make a known blockbuster into an animated movie to engage a larger audience.

Actor Hrithik Roshan, the protagonist in the live action movie Krrish, commented, “Believing in the unbelievable is what makes life extraordinary. Children have the same faith in the character Krrish. Kid Krrish will not only inspire children but also take them across the world on exciting adventures with characters that will soon become their best friends.  I am glad that I got the opportunity to play the role of Krrish on big screen and I am sure that Kid Krrish will become a favourite for this generation and many more to come.”

While Turner helped in understanding what kids really love and what clicks with them (with their experience from Cartoon Network and Pogo) as far as TV entertainment goes, Film Craft knew the DNA of the character Krrish better than anyone else. Toonz Animation brought in the ethos of how to create a compelling and visually appealing animation.

"Two minds are better than one, and here we have three minds! I am sure then that our experience will help and this will be successful," said Desai.

Incidentally, Krrish 3, the sequel to Krrish, is on the anvil. The movie is being produced and directed by Rakesh Roshan and starring, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Vivek Oberoi and Kangna Ranaut. Reputed foreign technicians are working on the project, including action director Tony Ching Siu Tung choreographing the action sequences.

While that lends the animated series a boost, the channel is still going to market it within their channels now. Cartoon Network and Pogo are leading in the children's entertainment category. Again, the digital media is a popular platform for kids to engage with their favourite characters. Cartoonnetworkindia.com attracts close to 5.6 million page views. Pogo.tv is also popular. The new movies will be promoted there as well. A little outdoor and ambient media will be used, though there are no plans of using on-ground media for marketing the show.

Rakesh Roshan, Director, Film Kraft Productions (India), said, “It is for the first time that a Bollywood character is set to get an animated version. The character of Krrish has been idolised by every child in India and has become an iconic superhero. His antics and enthusiasm will capture the imagination of kids not only in India but worldwide. We believe that Kid Krrish will be the new superhero for a whole new generation of children and a benchmark in animated series of live-action films.”

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