After conquering South-East Asia, animated hero Chhota Bheem is soon to venture into countries in Africa and the Middle East.
Green Gold Animation Pvt Ltd., the creators of Chhota Bheem, are taking big strides in transforming the home-grown little superhero into a global character. They are set to dub the show in various African, Arabic and some Middle-Eastern languages.
The studio is entering into agreements with local channels in these regions, where show will be broadcast in a few months from now.
Rajiv Chilaka, founder and CEO of Hyderabad-based Green Gold Animation, said that the firm has been trying to enter the U.S. and European markets but had not managed a good response. “They felt the character was very Indian and that’s why they did now show interest. Now, we are broadcasting the show via Internet TV in many parts of Europe and North America.”
“We wanted to take the show to China but since the regulations on foreign content are very strict, we could not go ahead. Wherever the show has been broadcast till now, it has got a great response. Chhota Bheem is a character recognized and loved beyond Indian boundaries,” he said.
The show, which went on air in 2008, recently completed 200 episodes. After two full-length theatrical movie releases based on the characters in the show, a third one is now under production.
The show is broadcast in more than a dozen countries and has been dubbed in seven languages.
The popularity of the show has also brought its own difficulties for the creators. The studio is losing revenue because of pirated products of the brand, Mr. Chilaka said.
“Many of the unlicensed products of our brand are being made in China, Kolkata and near Delhi. Whenever we find an organised racket we ask them to close down or get a licence. But we do not take action against roadside sellers. Though we sell more than 100 products, some of the products sold illegally continue to surprise us. There are even rice bags being sold now on the Chhota Bheem brand,” he said.
The company gets 60 per cent of its revenues from the animated show and 40 per cent from merchandising. With an employee strength of around 350, many of whom work on just the Chhota Bheem show, the studio is also planning a new series and new characters.
