Tag: Rajiv Chilaka

  • Gold and Frameboxx draw up a new script for animation education

    Gold and Frameboxx draw up a new script for animation education

    MUMBAI: When academia meets animation, the result is pure motion magic. India’s pioneering animation studio Green Gold Animation pvt. ltd., the creative powerhouse behind some of the country’s most beloved animated universes, has teamed up with Frameboxx Animation & Visual Effects pvt. ltd., one of India’s top training institutes, to script a new chapter in animation education.

    The two industry leaders have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to introduce an Industry Embedded Degree Programme in Animation and VFX, a first-of-its-kind initiative that fuses classroom learning with real-world studio experience. The MoU was signed by Sitarama Rajiv Chilakalapudi, founder and managing director of Green Gold Animation, and Rajesh Ramesh Turakhia, founder and managing director of Frameboxx.

    Under the partnership, Green Gold’s senior Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will deliver 150 hours of in-class, hands-on training across three years, ensuring students learn not just the theory but the thrill of production itself. These will be live, interactive sessions with Green Gold’s artists and mentors people who’ve turned sketches into global success stories.

    Students will also work on live production projects during their final year, gaining direct exposure to industry workflows, pipelines, and creative challenges. The result: graduates who don’t just dream in animation, but think, design, and deliver like studio professionals from day one.

    “India’s animation industry is expanding rapidly, driven by global demand for quality content and the explosion of digital platforms,” said Green Gold Animation founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka. “Yet, there’s a widening gap between what’s taught in classrooms and what studios need. Through this collaboration with Frameboxx, our goal is to bridge that gap by embedding real production expertise into academic learning. We want students to experience the pulse of a professional studio and understand how global projects are executed from concept to credits.”

    He added that this collaboration could help India emerge not just as a major consumer of animation content but as a consistent exporter of world-class animation talent.

    Echoing the sentiment Frameboxx founder and managing director Rajesh Ramesh Turakhia said, “This partnership marks a milestone in academic-industry collaboration. Students will benefit from live projects, masterclasses, workshops, and project reviews by Green Gold’s experts across Frameboxx centres nationwide. Together, we’re offering a learning experience that’s as real as it gets.”

    The programme will award a joint certification from Green Gold and Frameboxx, in addition to the degree from the affiliated university. Students will have access to cutting-edge technology, structured mentorship, and a well-defined career pathway that aligns with global production standards.

    Beyond academic reform, the alliance signals a shared mission to nurture India’s next generation of animators and visual storytellers. For Green Gold, it reinforces its role not just as a studio but as a mentor for the creative economy. For Frameboxx, it deepens its reputation as a bridge between education and employability.

    As the animation industry evolves from art to asset class, this partnership gives India’s young dreamers the tools to not only sketch their ideas but also shape their futures. After all, when the worlds of imagination and education collide the credits don’t roll, they begin.
     

  • Chhota Bheem leaps from screen to snack bar

    Chhota Bheem leaps from screen to snack bar

    HYDERABAD: India’s most popular animated character is hoping to strike gold by jumping off the telly and into the kitchen. Green Gold Animation, creator of Chhota Bheem, has partnered with EBG Group to launch India’s first Chhota Bheem-themed cafes—a Rs 200 crore bet that children’s entertainment can translate into family dining gold.

    The first two outlets will open in Hyderabad’s Hitech City by December 2025, with an ambitious rollout of 50 cafes planned for 2026 and 300 across India thereafter. The venture could eventually expand globally, say the partners.

    The cafes will come in two formats: a compact 25 x 40 ft express model and a larger 50 x 40 ft full-scale version. Franchise partners will stump up the capital whilst EBG manages operations, branding and training under a company-owned, company-operated model. The expansion is expected to create over 250 jobs, from chefs to merchandising staff.

    Far from being mere eateries, these venues promise interactive play zones, storytelling corners, licensed merchandise and activities featuring Chhota Bheem, Chutki, Mighty Raju and other characters from Green Gold’s stable. The aim is to create what the partners call a “360-degree family entertainment ecosystem” where dining meets play.

    Green Gold Animation  founder & chief executive Rajiv Chilaka  said: “Over the last 17 years, Chhota Bheem has grown beyond being just an animated character to becoming a cultural phenomenon loved by millions of children and families across India and beyond. This partnership allows us to extend this universe into a unique, real-world experience.”

    Added EBG group founder & chief executive Irfan Khan:  “This is not just about food, but about creating joyful experiences that families will cherish.”

    Green Gold Animation, founded in 2001, has produced over 30,000 minutes of content across television, film and digital platforms. Its shows reach viewers in more than 100 countries through partnerships with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Warner Bros Discovery. EBG Group is a multi-sector conglomerate spanning mobility, health, property, lifestyle, food, services, technology and education.

  • Chhota Bheem maker calls on fresh voices to script big kids’ adventures

    Chhota Bheem maker calls on fresh voices to script big kids’ adventures

    MUMBAI: Move over capes and crowns, the new heroes of kids’ TV might just be holding pens, not swords. Green Gold Animation, the studio that gave India its most famous toon icon Chhota Bheem, has opened a nationwide hunt for aspiring writers to help script its next big animated adventure. The initiative, starting 1 September 2025, invites early-career writers from every corner of India students, aspiring screenwriters, and first-timers with a flair for children’s stories. Experience in animation isn’t a prerequisite; what matters most is an ear for how kids speak, laugh, and dream today.

    Selected participants will get paid collaborations with Green Gold’s development team, working hand-in-hand with writers, animators, producers, and directors. They’ll also receive mentorship from seasoned professionals inside the studio, an industry break that could see their words come to life on screen.

    “For nearly two decades, our characters have grown up with India’s children,” said Green Gold Animation founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka. “But kids’ stories evolve with every new generation. Today’s children are curious, expressive, and connected, and we want stories that reflect that shift. With this initiative, we’re opening the door to new voices who can make kids laugh, think, and see themselves on screen.”

    The contest will be conducted virtually, making it accessible to storytellers nationwide. Interested participants can write to careers@greengold.tv to register. Once signed up, they’ll receive a creative brief setting out the direction of the upcoming show.

    Green Gold, which has shaped India’s animation landscape with Chhota Bheem and a host of other beloved characters, is framing this as more than a talent drive, it’s about building a pipeline for inclusive, future-facing storytelling. For the next generation of creators, this could be the chance to script their own fairy-tale beginning.

  • Axis Bank announces the winners of SPLASH

    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.

  • POGO India’s Chhota Bheem and Little Singham’s crossover ‘Aag Aur Pani Ki Takkar’ breaks records

    POGO India’s Chhota Bheem and Little Singham’s crossover ‘Aag Aur Pani Ki Takkar’ breaks records

    Mumbai: POGO, India’s homegrown kids’ entertainment channel, is kicking off 2024 with an exciting milestone for its flagship production Chhota Bheem and Little Singham’s debut crossover movie ‘Aag Aur Pani Ki Takkar’ that became the ‘No. 1 movie of 2023’. Leading the charts in kids’ entertainment, the epic showdown broke records with its exclusive premiere in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Marathi. The high-stakes saga pegged the dynamic duo against each other for the first time in television history, leaving the world’s fate in the balance.

    Celebrating the success of the movie, Uttam Pal Singh, Head of Kids Cluster – South Asia, Warner Bros. Discovery, said, “2023 has been a landmark year for POGO and its culmination with an exhilarating milestone for us and our partners Green Gold Animation and Reliance Animation has set the stage for a successful 2024. We jointly brought together the mightiest heroes of kids’ entertainment – Chhota Bheem and Little Singham, in a historic cross-over adventure loved abundantly by the fans. With extraordinary teams and talents converging, the visionary concept resulted in the record-breaking viewership phenomenon of ‘Aag Aur Pani Ki Takkar’.”

    “We’re thrilled by the success of our partnership with Green Gold Animation, Rohit Shetty Picturez, and POGO. We had aimed to create a never-seen-before event for our fans with ‘Aag Aur Pani Ki Takkar’ that captivates audiences of kids and families with its thrilling narrative, action sequences, and unexpected twists”. Reliance Animation’s CEO Tejonidhi Bhandare, expressed, “We hope to collaborate again in the future and replicate this success for our loyal fan base.”

    Green Gold Animation CEO & founder Rajiv Chilaka shared his excitement about movie’s success, stating, “‘Aag Aur Pani Ki Takkar’ takes Chhota Bheem fans on a unique journey, leading to a dramatic confrontation with the world of Little Singham. The record-breaking love for this movie is a true testament for creative storytelling and Chhota Bheem’s expanding reach. We are excited to take this unique clash of Titans of the Toonworld forward and continue creating magic for our audience.”

  • POGO’s showdown: Little Singham vs. Chhota Bheem – ‘Aag Aur Paani Ki Takkar’

    POGO’s showdown: Little Singham vs. Chhota Bheem – ‘Aag Aur Paani Ki Takkar’

    Mumbai: Get ready for an electrifying television experience to welcome the new year! POGO, India’s homegrown kids’ entertainment channel is set to bring together two iconic forces, Little Singham and Chhota Bheem, together in the much-anticipated exclusive movie ‘Aag aur Paani ki Takkar’. Premiering on Sunday, December 31 at 1 pm in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Marathi, this blockbuster event promises an exhilarating adventure that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats.

    The gripping narrative unfolds when the iconic super villains from two universes, Kirmada and Kaal join forces and connive to set a clash between Firey Little Singham and Calm as water, but powerful Chhota Bheem which triggers a monumental chain reaction, plunging the two worlds into peril. The stakes escalate, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance, as the Supercop v/s Superhero face off sets for a clash of Titans of the Toonworld.

    Warner Bros. Discovery head of kids cluster – South Asia Uttam Pal Singh said, “As storytellers, we are thrilled to bring together two beloved icons, Little Singham and Chhota Bheem, in exhilarating crossover movies of the year ‘Aag aur Paani ki Takkar’. This movie is a coming together of best minds and artists from the world of animation with Reliance Animation, Rohit Shetty Picturez and Green Gold Animation along with POGO promising fans a never before experience fronted by iconic Titans of Toonworld and a historic event in the Kids genre.”

    This exclusive movie promises an immersive experience filled with suspense, action, and unanticipated plot twists that will captivate audiences of all ages.

    “We are incredibly happy to be collaborating with the might of the animation industry Green Gold Animation for the first time and are filled with pride to further our long-standing association with Warner Bros. Discovery for another exciting milestone in storytelling. This movie is a blend of thrill, unexpected events and the power of heroism. Integrating the two completely different universes has been a really exciting process of this association which will win the hearts of our young audiences across the country”, shared, Reliance Animation CEO Tejonidhi Bhandare.

    Talking about this epic crossover, Green Gold Animation and Creator of Chhota Bheem founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “We are extremely excited to take the fans of Chhota Bheem on a first-of-its-kind voyage showcasing the ultimate clash of the animated worlds of Little Singham and the characters of Dholakpur. These adored titans will be seen on the Indian television for the first-time providing fans with an experience full of suspense, action, and unexpected turns as they fight for their beliefs. With POGO and Reliance Animation, we are excited for the young fans to experience Bheem’s newest battle that will redefine sacrifice and heroism.”

    Stay tuned for this thrilling crossover event, ‘Aag aur Paani ki Takkar,’ premiering on Sunday, December 31 at 1 pm only on POGO.

    You can watch the promo of the new Maha Blockbuster Chhota Bheem VS Little Singham here

     

  • Axis Bank launches SPLASH, a pan-India competition

    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.
     

  • aha forays into kids content, first animated show set for 10 Sept launch

    aha forays into kids content, first animated show set for 10 Sept launch

    Mumbai: Telugu language video streaming service aha has announced a partnership with Green Gold Animation to foray into kids content. The partnership will see aha launch six animated originals in the next 12 months and acquire 100 hours of content from the animation company.

    aha plans to launch its first animated original “Maha Ganesha” on 10 September coinciding with Ganesh Chaturthi. The show will feature in a separate ‘kids’ section under the aha brand and will be followed by more releases on Children’s Day, Christmas, and so forth. This is the first original animated production that will be in the Telugu language, said the platform in a statement.

    The first season of “Maha Ganesha” will have eight episodes. aha kids content will be available to existing subscribers at no additional cost. To attract new viewers, it will stream its first episodes for free so that kids can sample its content.

    “This generation of kids have grown up with Marvel and DC superheroes. We want to bring back the stories that our grandmothers used to tell us, produced by one of the best animation companies in the world – Green Gold Animation,” said aha, chief executive officer, Ajit Thakur.

    “We believe kids are an important member of the family and that we should prepare a separate pipeline of content. Our tagline ‘Our Stories Our Values’ came from aha’s positioning which is 100 per cent local,” he added.

    Thakur believes that launching kids content on the platform will increase the stickiness with existing subscribers as well as bring news subscribers to the OTT platform. “If a family believes that our content is good for their kids, they will pay a premium for it,” he said.

    “When we started conceptualising a kids’ original, I thought nothing better than to launch a show on Ganesha because he is the remover of obstacles,” said Green Gold Animation, chief executive officer, Rajiv Chilaka. “Maha Ganesha will feature various stories from the life of Ganesh – the story of his birth, why he cursed the moon, the rivalry between him and his brother. These stories will be told over a span of eight episodes. When you do puja on Ganesh Chaturthi, you will find these stories locally in books. I feel today’s kids’ attention span is different from previous generations, so what if we told them these stories in animation. Hence, we came up with this idea.”

    Speaking about kids content on TV, Chilaka said, “The advertising monetisation of kids content on TV has not matched the viewership. There are very few brands that target kids. But in the SVOD ecosystem that’s a very different thing. We’re competing with TV and other entertainment platforms. The OTT medium allows much more flexibility in viewership.”

    Currently, aha has no plans to dub its animated content into other South languages.

  • The men of media celebrate the women in their lives

    The men of media celebrate the women in their lives

    MUMBAI: Women have the power to create, nurture and transform. The very word ‘woman’ conjures up the images of selfless love, care and affection. International Women’s Day is a worldwide event that celebrates women’s achievements – from the political to the social, professional to the personal – while calling for gender equality. It has been observed since the early 1900s and is now recognised each year on 8 March.

    Men, today, do a higher share of chores and household work than any generation before them. Yet working women, especially working mothers, continue to do significantly more. However, a real man always appreciates the important women in his life and celebrates their presence every day.

    Indiantelevision.com spoke to some of the men in the Indian media industry about their views on the subject.

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    ALTBalaji COO Sunil Nair

    I don’t think I need a special day to realise how important the women in my life are. At home, every day is women’s day since I live with three women—my daughter, wife and mother-and they ensure that I never forget who the real boss in house is. I believe we all can celebrate the women in our lives by respecting them, their opinions, treating them as equals and considering their views and choices as equally important.

    At workplaces, most Indian men do not know how to deal with a female coworker who is more intelligent or is more qualified. A deliberate policy that ensures that workplaces have good gender diversity helps in the longer run.

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    Green Gold Animation founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka

    I personally believe that women are superior to men, but unfortunately even today, most women across India are struggling to have their voices heard and are fighting hard to secure their rights. In India, gender inequality is a huge problem and that has to be fixed. Most kids TV shows today are targeted towards boys with the message that boys/men are more important than girls/women. This has to change and we need to treat boys and girls as equals. I feel we shouldn’t just dedicate a day to celebrate but rather give them respect, importance, love and independence every day. In India, we all pray to goddesses like Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati for power, wealth and education but yet when it comes to our households we don’t look up to our women and we treat our women shabbily. 

    At workplaces, we need to hire more women and companies need to provide security and safe transport to women who work late hours. More importantly, families need to understand that the women can also aspire to have a successful career along with a fulfilling family life.

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    Bodhi Tree Multimedia founder Mautik Tolia

    Women’s day is deeply significant for me as I stand the man I am today because of the women who have influenced my life in various ways by helping me evolve and grow into the person I am today. I celebrate the women in my life by constantly making them feel how special and important they are to me. Although I don’t do this enough and feel I must do this more.

    The industry needs to do more about the safety of women especially at sets, which are located in far-flung areas with late pack up times by providing them transport and ensuring their safety. The industry is very demanding on young women especially who come from smaller towns with no safety net and hence a strong support system needs to be created by the seniors in the industry to ensure their physical and mental well being.

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    PwC India entertainment and media leader Frank D’souza

    Women’s day is a reminder of the fact that much needs to be done for women around the world, at various levels — socio, economic and political. A true test of the endeavours in this regard would be the time when we don’t feel the need anymore to celebrate a day in particular! A mother, wife, sister and daughter helps an individual to grow and flourish. I seek to recognise this contribution in the women in my life. There are times I do it well, and at times, I could do it better.

    But what needs to be done at workplace to ensure women are on equal footing as men is a debatable and tough question. Equality demands that all be treated similarly. However, one needs to be cognisant of the different needs of women at workplace, and create and implement policies to recognise such differences, primarily in issues related to career advancement. The challenge here to get the male workforce to appreciate the need for such distinction and not to feel reverse discriminated.

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    Eros Digital COO Ali Hussein

    Women’s day is a big day for me, as it’s a good way to take a step back and recognise their contribution in my life both personally and professionally. I have two very important women in my life: my wife and daughter and I celebrate the day by taking them out for a meal.

    At Eros, we try and maintain an equal men-to-women ratio in the team. This not only ensures great productivity but more so being a consumer brand allows us to maintain a tone and culture with our viewers largely. 

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    ALTBalaji CMO Manav Sethi

    Every day is women’s day when you live with your mom, wife and daughter. I look forward for men’s day! I celebrate the women in my life by giving them space, freedom, enablement and reinforcement that they are better than men.

    At workplace, we need to treat them as equals, give them opportunities, skill enhancement, learning and risks. Management/workplace is never a function of sex. It’s all about people, passion, commitment, common sense and brains.

  • Chilaka’s roller coaster ride from engineering to animation

    Chilaka’s roller coaster ride from engineering to animation

    MUMBAI: Who would have thought that the person holding a master’s degree in computer science from a prestigious US University would commit to the lesser known field of animation and return to his homeland? And yet today, Rajiv Chilaka stands redeemed for a choice he made nearly 17 years ago.

    India’s most successful animation company was the entrepreneurial venture of this man who runs the show with his elder brother Srinivas. The founder and CEO of Green Gold animation, Chilaka moved over from engineering to studying animation at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco in 2000 after giving three gruelling years to a job as a software engineer.

    The inspiration came to him after watching his first animated film – The Jungle Book. It gave rise to a spree of movie and cartoon watching such as Spiderman, Tom and Jerry, etc. Chilaka knew he wasn’t a great artist so he took engineering as a career. The final switch came when, during one of his slow boring days as a librarian, he read Walt Disney’s book where he spoke of the power of entertaining kids and not considering money as a driving force. He decided that if not art, he could at least tell great stories.

    While studying his post graduate degree in the US, Chilaka applied to learn animation but without a scholarship, he had to cough up a whopping $20,000 as fees each semester. His brother refused to lend him money and advised him to finish his masters, work for a few years and give wings to his animation career. Chilaka was convinced.

    When Chilaka broke the news about setting up Green Gold Animation to his family, he instantly got the maternal support but not surprisingly, his father was adamantly against it. Needing his father’s blessings, Chilaka managed to persuade him with the business plan, which he himself felt was a pathetic one.

    He flew back to India and settled in with his parents in their new house, an option his father gave him understanding the difficulty he might face in finding his own accommodation and paying rent initially. With four to five employees, his journey began.

    If today India still lacks great animators, imagine the situation back in 2000. Chilaka says that they had to train everyone who joined. Everything was work, even if it was as simple as a business card or brochure. He even purchased a digital camera to look tech savvy. What he ensured was good quality work at a feasible budget leading to a happy client and no complaints. 
    The company came close to shutting nearly 25 times in the eight years in between. They had worries – expensive orders or unpaid dues and one by one dejected employees started moving out when he couldn’t pay them on time.
    The real tipping point came years later in 2008 when Chhota Bheem first got airtime on Pogo. Ten days before it went on air, Chilaka’s new office was gutted by a fire and a big potential investor developed cold feet while the lenders demanded their dues. “It was a brand new building which we built so luckily no one moved into it. We were going to move in three days later,” Chilaka says. Everything was damaged – the interior, centralised AC office and it was not just the loss of money but also of time and efforts. “But a lot of vendors supported and understood that we were in trouble. Turner didn’t panic and supported us instead,” he adds.

    Recently, Chilaka added another feather to his cap, with the newly launched service studio-Golden Robot Studio with Samir Jain, Chand, Ritesh and Abhishek. “Right now we have 120 team members and we have planned to add another 70-80 people in the team,” he reveals.

    The challenge now was to orient people to the new culture of being self-sufficient and creating original IPs. “It was also difficult for the employees to join a new startup company, but all the employees are happy working here and of course the brand name of Green Gold helped as everyone wanted to work for us,” says a joyful Chilaka.

    His latest home-grown IP shows include Kalari Kids, a show that rediscovers Kalaripayattu, a lost martial art form of Kerala. With the purpose to educate through entertainment, the animation studio is making an exclusive series for Amazon Prime. Green Gold also sealed a deal with Netflix to digitally broadcast Mighty Little Bheem—a spinoff of its popular character Chhota Bheem.

    The series created by Green Gold Animation are Vikram Betal in 2004, Bongo on DD National (2004–2006), Krishna on Cartoon Network (2006–2007), Krishna & Balram – Cartoon Network (2009), Chhota Bheem – Pogo TV (2008), Chorr Police – Disney XD (India) (2009–2012), Mighty Raju – Pogo TV (2011), Luv Kushh – Disney XD (India) (2012–2014), Discovery Kids (India) (2015-2016), Arjun: The Prince of Bali – Disney Channel India (2014–2016) and Kalari Kids.

    In 2018, Green Gold will premiere two theatrical releases – Chhota Bheem Kung Fu Dhamaka and a tentative title for a mythological movie—Mahiravana. Both films are likely to be launched during the summer. Chilaka refused to speak on the other shows which are still in pilot stage.

    For the torchbearer of Indian animation, we hope his pot of gold never runs out!

    Green Gold, Amazon Prime put Kerala martial art on the map
    Green Gold’s golden Mumbai launch