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The strip gets bigger
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The good old Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle are set for a revamp
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ambitious ACK Media CEO Samir Patil
He is the most stupid among the various Indian cartoon characters. We laugh at his goof-ups, and make fun of his foolishness, but we love Suppandi despite this. But now popular characters like Suppandi, Tantri the Mantri, Kalia the clever crow and S
hikari Shambu are set for a change, thanks to their new owners. ACK Media, a new media venture with Samir Patil as the founder and CEO, has acquired some of India’s most loved brands including Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle Magazine, with the aim of developing original content using India-centric themes and characters in multiple formats like print, DVDs, online services, games, TV and film.
“There’s a massive growth opportunity for products meant for children but, if you see the current content available, most of them don’t have anything to do with India. We felt there was a big gap in that area and our company is an attempt to bridge it. Most foreign cartoons are targeted at a niche audience. The reality is, these things don’t appeal to the masses. As compared to this, even today Tinkle sells about 1.4 million copies and gets about 200 letters a week from children across India. That’s the reason we decided to acquire it,” explains Samir.
He feels that the mentality of Indian parents is different from their foreign counterparts. And that’s because, “We still give importance to educational content even in entertainment.” He explains how lack of Indian values, critical thinking and sensitivity in most content available nowadays prompted him to work towards products that would spark the creativity of young minds.
“If you look at the top 100 sites in the world, you will not find a site meant for kids. Kids shouldn’t be on Orkut. It’s an adult’s domain. We developed www.tinkleonline.com realising the need for a moderated site, where kids can play games, make friends and build a network,” explains Samir.
Online bookstore
As for Amar Chitra Katha, the company has ensured that all the 400 titles in 20 languages are accessible to everyone through over 500 bookstores and the company’s online store. Animating these Indian heroes is part of his plan, but Samir doesn’t want to hurry into it. “I think people are over-investing in animation films, not just in India but even abroad. Earlier there used to be two animation films a year in the U.S. but now the number has increased to five. In our country, there are about 18 films on the floor. There’s a limit to how much the market can absorb.”
Just out with the latest collection of Suppandi, Shikari and Kalia in better print quality, Samir says the focus is on character building. “But the positioning and cost will remain the same.”
MANGALA RAMAMOORTHY
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