Tag: Amar Chitra Katha

Hyderabad levels up as Comic Con and DreamHack unite for epic pop fest

MUMBAI: Heroes, gamers, and dreamers assembled Hyderabad just turned into a real-life multiverse. The Maruti Suzuki Arena Hyderabad Comic Con, powered by Crunchyroll and paired with Dreamhack India, transformed Hitex Exhibition Centre into the capital of cool from 31 October to 2 November.

Over 40,000 fans including 400-plus cosplayers descended on the venue for three packed days celebrating everything from anime and comics to esports and AR-fuelled fun. Organised by Comic Con India under Nodwin Gaming, the event fused nostalgia and next-gen tech in equal measure.

Comic lovers geeked out with Mike Costa, writer and executive producer of Lucifer, and J. Gonzo, the artist behind striking covers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Ghost Rider. Joining them were 17 homegrown comic creators, 9 performers, and 80 exhibitors, ensuring every corner buzzed with creative energy.

Maruti Suzuki kept things fast and fun with a reflex challenge and display zone, while Crunchyroll’s booth had anime fans grooving to a non-stop playlist. Android Land’s Panfest drew BGMI warriors into live open lobbies, where digital battles matched the on-ground adrenaline.

Meanwhile, Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle blended the old with the new, offering fans a VR-powered dive into India’s mythological universes. The Running Man Rage Room let visitors smash their stress away, while the Predator Badlands Zone and Zootopia 2 Zone kept the high-octane vibes going.

Adding star power, DreamHack India celebrated its sixth anniversary with a gamer’s paradise of retro titles, KO Fight Night, chess blitz tournaments, and BYOD arenas. KMR YoshiKiller claimed victory in Tekken 8, pocketing Rs 1 lakh, while JLQ Hallmark took home Rs 40,000 as the Super Smash Bros champ.

The cosplay highlight came with the Hyderabad qualifiers for the Indian Championship of Cosplay 2026, where Pracheta Banerjee bagged the city crown and Rs 50,000, earning a spot in the national finals.

Gaming icons like Scout, Kaashvi, Ghatak, and Trace God met fans at packed meet-and-greet zones powered by Revenant Esports, while Red Bull athletes and Godlike creators including Jonathan, V3nom, Zgod, Sharkshe, and Payal lit up the Red Bull Tetris National Finals. Even childhood favourite Rob (Harun Robert) of M.A.D. fame joined the party.

Performers such as Syed Bashaar, Vivek Muralidharan, Karan Singh, Celinedee Matahari, and Kayden Sharma brought music, magic, and mischief to the stage, turning the convention into a festival of pure fandom.

Reflecting on the success, Comic Con India CEO Shefali Johnson said, “Hyderabad’s energy was phenomenal, people of all ages came together to celebrate pop culture. From Shinchan to Ironman, fans showed up in full spirit.”

Nodwin Gaming co-founder & MD Akshat Rathee added, “We’ve once again brought pop culture and gaming together like never before. The enthusiasm from Hyderabad fuels us to make every season bigger and bolder.”

With the capes folded and controllers powered down, Comic Con India now heads east with its first-ever Guwahati edition on 22–23 November 2025 proving that India’s pop culture universe is only getting larger, louder, and infinitely more legendary.

November 4, 2025
Axis Bank invites kids to paint their dreams

MUMBAI: Axis Bank is giving young dreamers a canvas to imagine, create and express. The bank has launched Splash 2025, the 13th edition of its nationwide art, craft and literature competition for children aged 7 to 14 years, inviting entries on the theme “Dreams.”

The annual contest, inspired by Axis Bank’s philosophy of being Dil se open, aims to reach over 11 lakh participants through both online and offline formats. Kids can submit their entries on axisbanksplash.in till 31 December 2025, or join on-ground events at select Axis Bank branches, schools and residential societies.

This year’s sub-themes, A day in my dream life (ages 7–10) and The future as I dream it (ages 11–14,) encourage children to turn imagination into expression. A panel of more than 100 experts, including Amar Chitra Katha’s Savio Mascarenhas, Ryan International Group’s Snehal Pinto, and The Art Society of India’s Deepak Patil, will evaluate the entries.

Winners won’t just take home medals and memories. The six winners and six runners-up will receive Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 respectively, plus an invitation to an exclusive art and craft workshop at Tashkeel, Dubai. Their artworks will also be showcased at Bengaluru’s Museum of Art and Photography (MAP).

Adding a futuristic twist, Axis Bank has also unveiled an ‘AI Dream Generator’, a playful tool that turns children’s dream descriptions, from flying cars to talking animals, into visuals inspired by their chosen medium: art, craft or literature.

“We believe every dream deserves a voice,” said Axis Bank president & chief marketing officer Anoop Manohar. “Splash is more than a competition; it’s a celebration of creativity, courage and possibility.”

Last year’s edition drew over 9 lakh entries from 3,300 plus schools and bagged honours including Best Integrated Media Campaign at the E4M Indian Digital Marketing Awards.

From crayons to keyboards, Splash 2025 is all about turning little dreams into big inspirations, one masterpiece at a time.

November 3, 2025
Mythik names Preeti Vyas president to steer content and partnerships

MUMBAI: Mythik, the tech-first entertainment upstart styling itself as the “Disney from the East”, has hired Preeti Vyas as president of content strategy, partnerships and consumer products.

Vyas, who previously served as president and chief executive of Amar Chitra Katha, brings three decades of experience across publishing, retail and entertainment. At Amar Chitra Katha, she engineered the heritage brand’s revival, taking it from nostalgia act to profitable modern player while driving readership tenfold to over 6 million globally.

Her career has spanned founding Fun OK Please publishing, the company behind children’s favourites like Toto the Auto, to senior stints at Future Group, Sony Music, Toys R Us and Crossword. She also piloted transmedia adaptations of franchises such as Tinkle and built licensing deals that expanded their reach.

At Mythik, she will spearhead efforts to package mythology, history and folktales from the East for a global audience, tapping into new-age distribution and consumer products.

Mythik, founder and chief executive, Jason Kothari called Vyas “a rare combination of strategic acumen and creative vision” and said her track record of transforming heritage brands would be key to realising the company’s global ambitions.

Vyas herself described the role as “an opportunity to present stories from our ancient past at a scale never attempted before”.

Alongside her corporate career, she sits on industry bodies including the Media & Entertainment Skills Council and the Advertising Standards Council of India, giving her a perch at the intersection of policy, talent and content.

September 2, 2025
Karnataka sets sights on creative technology leadership following GAFX 2025

BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has unveiled ambitious plans to position the state as a global creative technology hub, announcing upcoming Esports Summit and Game Developers Conference events following the conclusion of the highly successful Bengaluru GAFX 2025.

The three-day conference, held at The Lalit Ashok and organised by the Department of Electronics, IT & Biotechnology and the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry (ABAI), attracted over 5,000 daily visitors and featured 100+ sessions with 200 speakers from ten countries.

“Karnataka is not just the IT, biotech, and skill capital of India—we are on our way to becoming the global creative capital,” declared information technology minister Priyank Kharge at the valedictory function. “With the right policies, incentives, and vision, we will transform India into a hub for creative technology.”

The minister outlined plans for significant investment in incubators, Centres of Excellence, and original intellectual property creation, inspired by the success of global entertainment giants like Disney and Marvel.

Karnataka’s AVGC-XR Finishing School has already trained over 842 students, while the state hosts 27 Digital Art Centres and represents 20 per cent of India’s Media & Entertainment market.

Several major announcements marked the event, including the animated debut of beloved comic character Suppandi, unveiled by actor Rana Daggubati. The character will stream on PowerKids TV, with Tinkle’s young female superhero WingStar also set for animation. The prestigious Uncle Pai Promising New Creator Award was launched, with Mahati Santhanakrishnan named inaugural recipient for her comic Hunting Monsters.

A significant partnership between Green Gold Animation (India) and TG Entertainment (UK) was announced to expand The Brilliant World of Tom Gates franchise across South Asia, focusing on licensing, merchandising, and animation production.

The conference proved particularly fruitful for business development, with the B2B Forum facilitating 395 letters of intent between companies. Fifteen top buyers engaged with 39 participating companies, with 40 intellectual properties showcased. The Investor Connect Program saw 29 investors from 22 companies meeting with 34 startups, offering crucial funding and mentorship opportunities.

The Skyesports Souvenir 2025 National Esports Championship featured four elite teams competing for a Rs 5 lakh prize pool, with Gods Reign crowned champions and Aakash “PH1NNN” Bose earning MVP honours. The competition showcased Counterstrike 2, confirmed as a title in the upcoming Olympic Esports Games 2026.

The AnimationXpress GEM Awards recognised industry excellence across gaming, esports, and metaverse categories. Notable winners included Bloom – A Puzzle Adventure (Best Casual Game), Indus Battle Royale (Best Mobile Game), and 1971: Indian Naval Front (Best Hardcore Game). SuperGaming claimed Game Studio of the Year, with Lucid Labs named Best Indie Studio.

Several strategic agreements were formalised, including an MoU between Uzbekistan and ABAI that will see delegations exchanged between the countries. The ABAI AVGC Centre of Excellence and Media & Entertainment Skills Council also partnered to advance skilling, incubation, and policy development.

A Digital Detox Center by the All India Gaming Federation was launched, while a special session on Bringing Moana 2 to Life offered behind-the-scenes insights into Disney’s advanced animation technologies, including Tonic for hair grooming and enhanced crowd simulation.

“There are tangible outcomes that will be an accelerator for India’s creative technology industries,” said Bengaluru GAFX chairman and ABAI president Biren Ghose. “GAFX 2025 has succeeded in highlighting the disruption that will enable studios, startups, and talent to make a lasting impact on the global stage.”

March 1, 2025
First Amar Chitra Katha woman scriptwriter Kamala Chandrakant passes on

MUMBAI: Writers are a much-in-demand breed. Good scriptwriters even more so. Almost every studio head would give an arm and a leg to get a brilliant one on board.

And imagine what one would feel when we lose one of them. Just ask Amar Chitra Katha CEO & president Preeti Vyas and she will tell you it bites deep, it hurts so much. Her studio has just lost Kamala Chandrakant – a feisty writer of the seventies, eighties and nineties.

Said Preeti in a tribute to the powerhouse of a teller of stories many of us have grown up reading:

“We are deeply saddened by the passing away of Kamala Chandrakant, the first woman scriptwriter of Amar Chitra Katha, on 9 Feb, 2025. She was 84. None of us in the present team have worked with Kamala but her stories are legendary.”

“Known to be a courageous woman, who thought way ahead of her times, we’ve heard of the many spirited arguments she had with Uncle Pai on why women heroes deserved more space in the comics. She was the scriptwriter for most of the Mahabharata series and for hundreds of other titles.

“Kamala will always be remembered with awe, respect and affection by our team.”

RIP Kamala! Your stories will continue to educate generations to come!

(B&W Picture of Kamala Chandrakant courtesy Preeti Vyas; Kamala has passed on even as the ScreenWrters Association is set to kick off its annual confab on 14 February in Mumbai )

February 10, 2025
Axis Bank announces the winners of SPLASH

Mumbai: Axis Bank, one of the largest private sector banks in India, announced six national winners of SPLASH, an annual Pan-India competition on art, craft, and literature for children in the age group of 7-14 years. All six finalists will be felicitated with scholarships of Rs. 1 lakh each, exciting hampers, and electronic gadgets from partners such as Hamleys, Faber Castle, American Tourister and BoAt and the runners-up will be awarded Rs 50 thousand each.

Winners under the age group of seven-ten years:

1. Art: Shivash Soni from GDGPS, New Delhi
2. Craft: Yashvi Premkumar from Senthil Public School, Salem, Tamil Nadu
3. Literature: Krithika Reddy from City International School Aundh, Pune, Maharashtra

Winners under the age group of 11 – 14 years:

1. Art: P. Akshitha from The Presidential School, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
2. Craft: Devayudh Das from Delhi Public School, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal
3. Literature: Stuti Jain from D.A.V. Public School, Ludhiana, Punjab

Marking a new milestone, the competition witnessed entries from over 6.8 lakh participants from all over the nation, which has increased by 36 per cent year on year. Through this initiative, the Bank has generated a cumulative reach of over 50 million by conducting the competition phygitally (both physically and digitally), ensuring that every child has an opportunity to showcase their talent.

Speaking on the initiative, Axis Bank CMO Anoop Manohar said, “We would like to thank all the participants and congratulate the winners for their remarkable contribution in making this competition a huge success. We firmly believe that young minds hold the power to create, mould and change the world for a better tomorrow and we, at Axis Bank want to be part of this journey, in building a better community for our next generation. Through Splash, we endeavour to encourage young minds to express their ideas, thoughts, and views through creative medium such as arts, craft and literature and will continue to do so.”

With an aim to instill the thought of kindness and foster a sense of goodwill amongst the new generation, Axis Bank reached out to over 1,900 plus schools and activated its 5000 plus branches. These participants were adjudged by jury panel comprising Vikrant Shitole, a revered artist from Art Society of India; Disha Katharani, co-founder of Imagimake; Savio Mascarenhas, group art director at Amar Chitra Katha; and Rajiv Chilaka, CEO of Green Gold Animation.

March 22, 2024
Axis Bank launches SPLASH, a pan-India competition

Mumbai: Axis Bank, one of the largest private sector banks in India, announced the launch of SPLASH, an annual Pan-India competition on art, craft, and literature for children in the age group of 7-14 years. This year, Splash will focus on the theme ‘Kindness’ to instil the thought of kindness and foster a sense of goodwill amongst the new generation. The participants can register and submit their entries on www.axisbanksplash.in, till 31 December 2023. Through this initiative, the Bank aims to reach out to over six lakh participants by conducting the competition phygitally (both physically and digitally), ensuring that every child has an opportunity to showcase their talent.

The competition will be divided into two age groups: seven-ten years and 11-14 years. The participants will need to express their thoughts and ideas through two themes ‘Helping One Another’ and ‘Making the World a Kinder Place’. They can unleash their creativity through drawing, craft, or essay writing. The participants will be evaluated by an esteemed jury panel comprising Vikrant Shitole, a revered artist from Art Society of India; Imagimake co-founder Disha Katharani; Amar Chitra Katha Group art director Savio Mascarenhas; and Green Gold Animation CEO Rajiv Chilaka.

Speaking on the initiative, Axis Bank CMO Anoop Manohar said, ”We are delighted to announce the 11th edition of Splash. This year’s theme of ‘Kindness’ stems from our brand philosophy ‘Open’- which aims to engage with communities beyond banking and business. Through Splash, we are providing a vibrant canvas for these young minds to explore, express and embrace the value of kindness in order to create a better tomorrow.”

Scaling new heights, this year Axis Bank will reach out to over 2000 schools, 50 per cent more than the previous year. In addition to the competition, the Bank will organise engaging sessions and other fun-filled activities. It has roped in children’s beloved character ‘Chota Bheem’ to impart valuable life lessons on earning, saving, investing, and giving through the art of storytelling.

The winners will be conferred scholarships of Rs 1 lakh, exciting hampers, and electronic gadgets from partners such as Hamleys, Faber Castle and BoAt. They will also be given an opportunity to visit the National Institute of Design (NID) and participate in exciting workshops conducted by the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP). The runners-up will be awarded Rs 50 thousand each.

November 23, 2023
Applause Entertainment licenses 400+ titles from Amar Chitra Katha

Mumbai: Aditya Birla Group-backed content studio Applause Entertainment has announced a partnership with Amar Chitra Katha, a player in the children’s publishing segment.

As part of the collaboration, Applause Entertainment has acquired the license to Amar Chitra Katha catalogue, of more than 400 titles, which will be developed and produced into animated content.

“At Applause, we only strive to deliver the best in storytelling. Over the last four years, we have significantly pushed the envelope in curating and creating the most disruptive stories for Indian audiences that cut across genres and geographies,” said Applause Entertainment, chief executive officer, Sameer Nair. “Amar Chitra Katha is a household name in India with a diverse and celebrated library that deserves to be retold. Like millions of other people, I have grown up reading these iconic comics and as a child, imagined them with dynamic visuals and dramatic sound & action. This is our opportunity to realise that dream. This partnership is also a small step towards helping export Indian culture by taking a unique and deep-rooted cultural brand like Amar Chitra Katha to screens across the globe.”

Spanning 20 languages, the Amar Chitra Katha library boasts titles across epics and mythology, history, fables and humour, brave hearts, visionaries, and ACK Junior. The children’s publisher was founded in 1967 by Anant Pai and sells more than 1.5 million copies every year. Amar Chitra Katha has forayed into digital with their app as well as a presence on Alexa, YouTube, and other digital platforms.

“At Amar Chitra Katha, we have been custodians of India’s stories for over 54 years, and we are thrilled to partner with Applause Entertainment to take our rich storytelling heritage to Indian and global audiences through animation,” said Amar Chitra Katha, president and chief executive officer, Preeti Vyas. “As the nation’s favourite storyteller, our mission has always been to provide Indian children a route to their roots and inspire in them a great sense of pride about India and being Indian. While we continue to keep our founder, Mr Anant Pai’s dream alive by telling new stories and creating fresh content in print and digital formats, we are also keen on presenting our iconic stories in an animated avatar. For this, we could not have hoped for a better partner than Applause. We are confident that Sameer Nair and his team, with their passion and superlative track record, will do an amazing job adapting our stories to animation and providing the new and future generations of Indians a crucial link to our past.”

August 17, 2021
EPIC Channel and Amar Chitra Katha announce content collaboration

MUMBAI: EPIC – India’s Storytellers and a showcase for the best India-centric content, announced a content partnership with Amar Chitra Katha – the custodians of India's greatest stories. As part of the collaboration between two of India’s most popular storytellers, the tales from ACK Media and Tinkle on history, folklore, science, heritage, and culture will be made available on EPIC channel and on the channel’s premium video-on-demand platform EPIC On. The EPIC On app is available across several partnered platforms including App Store, Play Store, Fire TV Stick, Android TV, Apple TV, and Xiaomi’s MI TV.

ACK Media is the creator of several evergreen characters, and series and includes classics like ‘Suppandi & Friends Animated Series’ & ‘Anu Club – Where Learning Meets Fun’. These shows cover a wide array of subjects in a relatable Indian setting that is the hallmark of both brands. The collaboration will also include original ACK Stories as short motion-comics episodes that celebrate India’s greatest stories around our legacy, history, and mythology. The partnership is also aimed at exploring newer formats to build upon the existing vast content bank and IPs of EPIC and Amar Chitra Katha while also synergizing to create original content.

Commenting on the association, Epic On Content & Programming Head Akul Tripathi said, “EPIC has always been driven by its goal of showcasing India through unique stories that celebrate the country. Amar Chitra Katha is a legacy and part of every Indian’s childhood. The spirit of both brands are in sync, and the association is a symbiotic, natural progression that opens the door for several interesting opportunities.”

Commenting on the association, Amar Chitra Katha Pvt. Ltd. President Preeti Vyas said, “Amar Chitra Katha is thrilled to announce its association with EPIC. Both Amar Chitra Katha and EPIC share a common set of core values based on a deep and fierce love for Indian stories, history and culture. We begin our association with content from our popular series Suppandi and Friends, Anu Club and Amar Chitra Katha Stories being hosted on the EPIC On App and look forward to more exciting projects in the near future”

November 14, 2019
Kids prefer entertainment over edutainment on TV

MUMBAI: Broadcasters’ various attempts at creating content that can get children hooked has repeatedly turned up one result – animation entertainment is what each child comes for.

The OTTV Kids and Animation Summit 2017’s saw a session on ‘the content and storytelling strategies for kids’ with panelists-Hungama Kids Artist Aloud original content VP Soumini Paul, animation screenwriter Vivek Shukla, Discovery Kids Network head of content Uttam Pal Singh, Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle group creative director Neel Debdutt Paul and Avant Garde Films founder, CEO and content creator Sohini Mitra. The panel was moderated by Dveo Media CEO Deepak Ramsurrun.

Discovery’s Singh highlighted that it is exploring more entertainment content for kids aged 2-14. Instead of forcing them to watch particular content, the channel is internally conducting research to understand their tastes.

Mitra said that apart from rhyming kids content, which is a rage on her channel catering to 3-year-old kids, kids are guzzling humour and action-based series. She added that parents play a key role to get kids to watch content at a specific time.

Whether one should mix education with this content was the question of the day. S Paul drives home the point by saying, “According to me, educational content, by itself, is boring. The topics we take up, which could be generic, educational or even learn-the-basics kind, are done in a fun and simple manner.”

Adding more to the context, N Paul said that children don’t want to be bogged down with educational content on screens after they’ve had a heavy dose of the same in school and tuition.

Agreeing to Neel’s point, Singh said that obviously, parents must be worried and concerned about what their kids are watching. However, when it comes to watching their favourite content, children do not like it when they see the shadow of their parents or teachers in their favourite cartoon characters. Questions like ‘Did you have your milk?’ will only turn them off.

Ramsurrun asked whether content is selected on the basis of market trends or new ones are experimented with. To which, Mitra said that both things go hand in hand. “Originality is very important. However, at the same time, market trends are also important. As a mother I observe that my son gets tired of seeing the same content repeatedly, so this a market trend for me as an animator. We do a lot of research and then find new content.” Shukla also reiterated the need for original content. “We can have mythological shows but I do not favour copied content,” he said.

Giving an alternative viewpoint, Singh said that cartoons like Doraemon or Chhota Bheem are always repeated but children are still hooked. “They do look out for original content, but they take time to know these new characters,” he added.

S Paul brought in economics into the discussion by saying that local content production needs high budgets. “We have a small team but if we have basic resources, we can get into producing local content. If we talk about acquiring the content, the budget is certainly a consideration.”

Singh added that children don’t bother to know where content has been acquired from or whether it is original or not. They just need to see their favourites on screen and be entertained by them.

With umpteen numbers of foreign shows available at their disposal such as Doraemon, children will not prefer to watch the likes of Kaali Gufa ka Jaadu. The superior quality of animation is something India is still catching up to.

Concluding the panel discussion, Shukla emphasised the need for improving the quality and content of originals. He said, “What made Chhota Bheem work? The story and the content were good, but what next? We need to move ahead and get more local original content for kids.”

November 23, 2017