Chhota Bheem makes a big splash

Hyderabad: Who would have thought that a 9-year-old laddoo-lover from Dholakpur would get kids glued to TV screens? The iconic rise of Chhota Bheem made the animation industry go bonkers with its stupendous success after which there was no looking back for Hyderabad-based Green Gold Animation.
For Rajiv Chilaka, the company’s founder, it all began in the Kansas City Public Library where his job at the library and interest in art made him dig into Walt Disney’s life.
“I drew my inspiration from Walt Disney, who used to spend his time at this library,” quips Rajiv.
Rajiv was doing his masters at the University of Missouri in Kansas City at the time. He then pursued course in animation from San Francisco and worked at Turner Corporation and Telcordia Technologies in the US. “I had a technical background and was creative. I couldn’t see myself as a programmer forever. So, I returned to India to enter the animation industry that had a dearth of talent,” he says.
Realising that there was huge potential in the industry here, Rajiv made a splash with an initial investment of Rs 75 lakh by founding Green Gold Animation in 2001.
“Mythological characters were the need of the hour and so, we created Krishna.” Though the company started off by making animated commercials and corporate films in 2001, it switched to television production in 2004.
In 2005, Samir Jain, a former client of Green Gold Animation, partnered with Rajiv to pool in capital (for an undisclosed amount). Even though Chhota Bheem took shape in 2004, Green Gold took three years to appease TV channels. “When POGO?was running in losses in 2007, they accepted Chhota Bheem. Not only did Bheem’s introduction save the channel, but also brought in highest ratings.”
Chhota Bheem is not only popular with Indian kids but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South East Asia and Middle East. Rajiv claims Chhota Bheem is the first Indian (cartoon) brand to have succeeded in selling merchandise too. Their products range from comic books, DVDs, apparel and accessories to home décor. “Currently, we have 24 stores in India and plan to add another 30 by December 2013.”
“We also plan to set up stores in Indo-nesia and Ma-laysia,” signs off Rajiv.