Disney goes curry
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Good news for couch potatoes. Disney India's channels are the latest to go desi. They will soon be celebrating Holi and Navarathri
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GOING LOCAL Most films and serials are now being dubbed in Hindi to ensure mass appeal
Kids rule the roost when it comes to watching television at home, it is said. Over one third of the country's population is said to be less than 14 years of age and the race is heating up to capture as many of those eyeballs as possible. Cartoon Network, Hungama, Disney Channel, Toon Disney, Pogo and Nick are the bouquet that kids can choose from. The latest mantra for these channels is to localise content and Disney is the latest to join the bandwagon.
Disney is launching a slew of programmes including a new one called Playhouse Disney along with locally hosted shows and activity segments. With this launch they are hoping to touch kids not only in the urban areas but also all over the country.
"We want to empower the kids, not just entertain them. That's why we have programmes like Studio Disney where we have kids hosting their own chat show with celebrities. The celebrities are interviewed at the kids' level and are pretty much at their mercy.
They pull pranks, some innocuous questions and also some awkward questions," says Hema Govindhan, Head of Marketing & Communications, Walt Disney Television International India.
Though the programmes look distinctly urban with the anchors and kids wearing the latest in branded wear, Disney insists that it is for a countrywide audience.
"Cable and satellite in India is our canvas. On the one hand you have a metro like Bangalore and cities like Baroda and Surat on the other. Since it is a mix of small and big towns, it has mass appeal, " says Govindhan.
Most children's films like Lion King and Aladdin have already been dubbed into Hindi and many more shows are on the same road. Disney says that the dubbings are specialised and done with great care so as to not dilute content. "The genie if you thought was funny in English is hilarious in Hindi. Our approach is not a dub job, we have a separate entity called Disney Character Voices International, that is tasked with ensuring that the language adaptations work to bring out local culture cues." And if you don't feel like watching your favourite shows in Hindi, the channel says that cable operators can ask for an English stream.
But how different is the content offered by Disney when compared to other channels? Govindhan says there are no comparisons. "We have over 60 movie slots in a month and launch over 100 new programmes in a year. That is quite a dose of movie fare. Our programmes are family inclusive, like Lion King or 101 Dalmatians."
She further adds: " The kid's space is something where we have to be inventive because they change their mind too often and so we have to be on our toes."
ANAND SANKAR
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Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
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