Indian market is a very generic term and means different for everyone. So what does it mean for broadcasters in kids’ space? Sony YAY!, VP and programming head, Ronojoy Chakraborty elaborated on this in his session on 5 May, the first day of Animation Masters Summit 2017.
His team at Sony YAY! has been doing doing research for a long time on the shows for their newly launched kids channel but they have started production only from the last six months. He had prepared lots of videos to make his session on ‘Developing Concepts for the Indian Market’ interactive.
India is an extremely vast market, and with 350 million kids, 29 states and 22 official languages, the diversity in content produced is enormous. “In such a diverse market, we want something universal and timeless; not a subject that is culture specific,” Chakraborty explained.
From his decade long experience in creating and curating content for kids, he had identified certain subjects in the kids’ entertainment segment (two to 14 years) that are universal and timeless. These subjects, he said, can be used by broadcasters to cater to a large number of children in the market.
- Friendship
Showing clips from Guru aur Bhole and Prince Jai aur Dumdaar Viru, Chakraborty explained that the theme of friendship is the most timeless and as broadcasters, they look for it.
- Magical Friend
All kids want to have a friend with magical powers whom they look up to. “A friend who helps him solve day-to-day problems and overcome difficult situations,” he added. This theme is exploited in the very popular Ninja Hattori and Doraemon series.
- Role Model
A role model for children is the one who protects them from bullies and dangers, a subject explored in Nickelodeon’s Shiva and kids’ favourite hero Chhota Bheem.
- Mad Fun
The name is self explanatory, and if we say Tom and Jerry, there are no more explanations needed. A theme that is loved by all, is also the basis of Toonz Media’s creation Pakdam Pakdai.
- Naughty Kid
A little controversial yet widely accepted is the premise of a notorious child who is known for his sharp tongue and pranks. Who does not know Shin-chan and Dennis & Gnasher?
Chakraborty, who grew up reading comics like Asterix and Obelix and Tintin, was always impressed by the element of togetherness and has always tried to incorporate that in the content that he creates for children. “You put in personal experiences in what you make,” he shared.
In the one episode he played from Sony YAY!’s originals Guru aur Bhole, the setting was a beautiful city, but one cannot point out which city it is because it is not similar to any. His point was that content should be pan India yet culture agnostic. Speaking about the naming of the characters in the show, he said, “We have used generic names (Guru and Bhole) and have not given them any surnames so people cannot point out their cultural background.” He likes to keep his shows culturally neutral.
He believes in enhancing relatability using notions from India’s collective memory. He insisted on taking topics from our cultural influences and putting them into storytelling. “Everyone has emotional responses and experiences to share. Put them in your story,” he mentioned as he concluded his talk.