Indian kids channel Sony YAY! Unveiled a renewed push in the domestic animation field with four new titles.
While the pay-TV channel has tasted success in recent months with “Taarak Mehta Kka Chhota Chashmah”, an animated show based on the popular Hindi-language sitcom “Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah”, most of the programming so far has been about dubbed in Hindi versions of international hit properties including “Oggy and the Cockroaches,” “Oscar’s Oasis,” “Horrid Henry,” “Harry & Bunnie,” “Robotan,” “Naruto,” “The Owl & Co.”
That paradigm is set to change with the 2023 launch of four flagship offerings. “Karna: The Guardian” (12 x 22) is a new take on the story of Karna from the Indian epic ‘Mahabharata’ that aims to fuse science and mythology. It will combine the elements of animation and Bollywood style. Sony YAY! She is in advanced negotiations with a Japanese co-production company. There are plans for a 360-degree universe around the property with a PlayStation game also under discussion.
There are two seasons (26 x 22) planned during 2023 and 2024 for “CID Squad,” the long-running “CID” police live-action animated film that will follow a lead detective working in the Criminal Investigation Division of a police force who is assisted by three teens. Curious as they deal with complex issues. The show is done in graphic novel style and is a fast-paced suspense thriller.
“Maya & the Magic Makeup Box” (13″ x 22″) is described as a teenage girl’s journey of self-discovery. It’s about 16-year-old Maya, an unnoticed and insecure middle school girl, who finds a magical makeup box and begins using it to create a welcome change in her world.
The learning-based program Little Pilots (10″ x 22″) will introduce children to the science of flight through new interactive flight tasks in each episode.
Formerly known as Animax India, Sony YAY! It was rebranded about five years ago and is now in the drive-in space along with Disney’s bundle of kids’ channels, Nickelodeon channels, and Warner Bros. Channels. Kids-focused Discovery, with a reach of 55 million, and Leena Lele Dutta, Chief Business Officer, Sony YAY! , He said diverse.
Sony YAY! Currently dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali. Dutta said a key learning for the channel during the COVID-19 lockdowns is the return of family group viewing, and the main focus of these shows has been creating content that a family can watch together.
“At this point in time, we’re focused on doing original programming and even animation for adults. That’s the programming we’ll be talking about for the 16+ age group, with concepts and characters, that is more inclusive with potentially kids as well as family, or adults. young people or even whole families,” Dutta said.
Original programming produced will not automatically land on the Sony YAY! or its sister service, SonyLIV Streamer. It will be available for purchase by the highest bidder in India’s fiercely competitive streaming space, Dutta said, a practice similar to Sony Pictures Entertainment’s policy globally.
For its next phase of development, Sony YAY! He delves deep into India’s heart to find and tell the myriad stories, starting with the country’s often-neglected northeast, which has a rich history of folktales.
“We want these very disparate ideas, which make beautiful animations and visuals that give way to being very Indian,” said Dutta.
Once the core Indian market is catered for, the plan is to look at making the originals available to Asia and the rest of the world in local versions as the anime easily lends itself to dubbing.
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