EiPi Media takes Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu into the AI era

MUMBAI: EiPi Media has struck a licensing partnership with Pran’s Features LLP and Toonz Media Group to create AI-powered digital content featuring Chacha Chaudhary and his inseparable sidekick Sabu, signalling a new phase in the monetisation of India’s legacy intellectual property.

Under the agreement, Pran’s Features LLP, the copyright holder of the iconic comic characters created by the late cartoonist Pran Kumar Sharma, has licensed EiPi Media to develop short-form, AI-driven animated microfilms for branded and platform-native use. The effort aims to preserve the humour, values and visual identity of the originals while adapting them for a digital-first audience.

The initiative sits at the intersection of three converging trends: the untapped commercial potential of India’s legacy IP, a maturing animation and storytelling ecosystem, and AI-led production tools capable of delivering cinematic realism at scale and speed. The resulting content is designed for high engagement across social and digital platforms, with brand integration woven into narrative rather than bolted on.

EiPi Media founder and chief executive Rohit Reddy, said the partnership is about extending cultural relevance, not novelty. “By harnessing AI, we are creating emotionally resonant stories at digital speed, while keeping the characters’ original charm and values intact,” he said, adding that the goal is to build long-term narrative value across platforms and generations.

Pran’s Features LLP director Nikhil Pran, said Chacha Chaudhary has always evolved with changing media, from print to television and now AI-powered animation. “This step allows us to embrace new technology while staying true to a character that became part of everyday cultural literacy across India,” he said.

Viswanath Rao of Toonz Media Group said the collaboration reimagines the duo as hyper-realistic, performance-driven AI personas built for digital-first platforms, avoiding both dated animation styles and superficial AI gimmicks.

Planned outputs include branded short films, narrative-led brand campaigns and seamless IP integrations across digital ecosystems. In an overcrowded attention economy, EiPi Media is positioning Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu not as revived icons, but as living characters: familiar, trusted and engineered for the future of storytelling.