Imagination is the beginning of creation! And, the famous animated characters, right from Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck to the recent Chhota Bheem, Kicko, Little Singham and many others are the outcome of a strong creativity and a proper market research.
A character takes birth after huge research, countless sketch works and numerous ideas scraped and few considered. Not just limited to entertainment anymore, these characters portray various roles. From being a kid’s friend and following him to school on his school bag to saying him a goodnight by being his linen print, the merchandising is making the characters bloom.
What makes the kids love these characters? Why do they befriend them? How does the process take place and how do we have that favourite image finally in front of us?
Is it just limited to the design? I guess not. These days marketing plays a huge role in making the character stand out and have its own identity, and reach masses. With marketing strategies placed properly, the fame of these favourite characters is only rising with every passing day.
Of course the force behind the character creation plays a larger role. The main concept, the basic drawings, the initial sketches and then the final developed character, this process is interesting which is yet not known to many. But, some creators of the famous Indian characters spilled some beans to AnimationXpress.
The beloved cop of India, Little Singham is an outcome of efforts from many talented brains at Reliance Animation. The property is inspired by the Bollywood blockbuster Singham. With an initial thought of showcasing a police, keeping in mind that police force protects our society, prevents crimes from taking place and maintains law and order, Little Singham was born.
“He is honest, brave, and patriotic, has the strength of a lion and loaded with style and swag. He has all the good qualities today’s kids would like to imbibe,” said Reliance Animation’s animation director Vikram Veturi.
Little Singham’s character started with a rough sketch by Vikky Lothe and was further developed by Prakash Satam, Gopinath Kannan, Amit Joshi and Vikas Kadam. “Little Singham is a new feather in our cap after the successful properties like Little Krishna and Shaktimaan. It has definitely given the company renewed visibility,” added Veturi. With the growing popularity of Little Singham the company is expanding its team.
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Chhota Bheem, the most beloved animated character is no more limited to the borders of India. It has gone all international and how! With show broadcasting on Netflix, this cute character from Mahabharata is going places and making India and its mythology proud.
Green Gold Animation founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka is the brain behind the famous character. “I always had Bheem on my mind for my stories. Of course this was followed by a lot of brainstorming and I went back and forth on the storyline, the set-up, and other characters till I cracked Bheem,” said Chilaka.
Chhota Bheem has been the epicentre of growth for Green Gold. With over 300 episodes, 27 tele-movies, and three theatricals, the brand has been able to reach far and wide across India.
Chhota Bheem is an Indian show which has the right mix of entertainment, action, fun and the stories that teaches kids to be positive, humble, caring, respectful, happy and cheerful, and these aspects made the show popular and helped the kids to relate closely with him.
All rights are reserved by Green Gold Animation
KickO and SuperSpeedo is yet another popular animated IP from Sony Yay! “KickO was meant to be a role model who is powerful with his thoughts. He is a contemporary boy who represents the kids of the current generation,” said Sony YAY! VP and programming head Ronojoy Chakraborty.
In terms of design, the company’s vision with KickO was to have a boy whose eyes reflect everything he stands for – innocence, clarity and calm, while his physique manifests health and power. And this vision was aptly captured by the designers of the show, feels Chakraborty.
For Super-Speedo, the team wanted to create a smart car which looks bright, friendly and futuristic. The team pinned down on a rounded model – a bright car that is interactive and a gadget that all kids aspire to have. The interactivity is expressed through a tab inside as an interactive driver. Everything from KickO’s car to his watch to the relationship he shares with his friends is something kids will associate with.
With these characters making a bright and prominent presence, the future of Indian animation seems to be in better hands.