Warner Bros. Discovery Bets Big on Homegrown Heroes for Indian Kids Market: ‘We’re Looking for Stories That Resonate Across South Asia’ (EXCLUSIVE)

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Move over Bollywood, India’s animated heroes are taking center stage.

I’m absolutely thrilled to share that Warner Bros. Discovery is making a big move in increasing its kid’s entertainment offerings in India! This media titan plans to serve up a whopping 200 half-hours of brand new content, exclusively on their three children’s channels, within just the second quarter alone!

The entertainment division of the company, encompassing Pogo, Cartoon Network, and Discovery Kids, will unveil a fresh lineup of content, featuring 71 new half-hour premieres on Pogo, primarily focusing on Indian original productions such as “Chhota Bheem,” “Little Singham,” and “Jay Jagannath.” Arjun Nohwar, the general manager for India and South Asia, oversees responsibilities in the region that share common cultural aspects with countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bhutan.

In this revised version, I’ve aimed to maintain the original meaning while making it easier to read and understand by using simpler sentence structures and more familiar terms.

Nohwar shares with EbMaster, ‘We’re searching for narratives that strike a chord throughout South Asia.’ He goes on to mention an interesting observation – ‘It turns out that some of the series and programs we produce not only resonate with Indian communities worldwide, but they also find acceptance among non-diaspora audiences globally, which was unexpected.’

In the year 2024, the joint movies starring “Chhota Bheem” and “Little Singham,” famously known as “India’s Superheroes,” shattered viewing records upon their release. Warner Bros. Discovery aims to capitalize on this success in the year 2025. The popular series, “Jay Jagannath,” which debuted in May 2024 and swiftly gained popularity on both traditional television and digital platforms, will premiere its second and third seasons this current year.

Over the past few years, we’ve aimed to blend and invent connections between our characters and their respective worlds,” Nohwar says. “This approach has been quite successful in stimulating creative thought about how things might alter when you combine these two superheroes, along with their villains, families, communities, and cities.

He notes that they found this method “incredibly engaging for our creative studio to work on and share with our audience.” Fans have shown enthusiasm towards these cross-genre stories, appreciating them not only in full-length films but also in serial formats.

In the second quarter, Cartoon Network’s international spotlight features the debut of “My Hero Academia” Season 7, additional installments of “Teen Titans Go!”, and a brand-new season of the humorous series “Grizzy and the Lemmings.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s strategic approach emphasizes a broad regional focus, offering content across seven language streams, such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, and English.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s localization approach goes beyond simply translating dialogue. As Nohwar explains, “Dubbing isn’t just about language; it’s also about capturing a character’s unique slang and personality, which can vary.” This means they might add a touch of flair to certain characters… They’re constantly pushing the limits with this ultra-localization strategy.

The children’s entertainment sector within the company is a strong component of its wider strategic focus on South Asia. This strategy encompasses factual content provided by Discovery+ and Discovery Channel, sports broadcasting through Eurosport, and movie distribution in theaters as well.

Speaking about Discovery+, Nohwar discusses how they’ve carved out a unique niche within a competitive streaming market: “Our success is largely due to our distinct identity as a specialized platform rather than a general entertainment one. We focus on excelling in factual lifestyle, adventure, history, and mystery genres, which sets us apart from others and creates a unique mental space for consumers. This means that we don’t compete with many other options in their minds.

The platform is expanding its search for relatable stories that connect throughout South Asia, even in the realm of unscripted programming. In this area, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is growing its factual and lifestyle collection with locally relevant productions. The company’s lineup includes compelling titles like “Reality Ranis of the Jungle,” an all-female survival reality show, “Mystery Hunter” hosted by Rannvijay Singha, and “Star vs. Food Survival Season 2,” which features popular celebrities such as Kartik Aaryan and Shikhar Dhawan. Documentaries like “The Legends of Shiva” and “Cult of Fear: Asaram Bapu” have garnered significant attention from South Asian audiences who appreciate culturally resonant storytelling.

Nohwar explains that we’ve been trying out new shows with stories rooted in local communities, ones that align with Discovery’s values and brand. We’ve seen great success with these series, and our abilities have only grown stronger over time.

This year, I’m thrilled to see some blockbuster films from Warner Bros. Discovery gracing Indian screens! Among them are “A Minecraft Movie,” that hit theaters on April 4th; “Superman,” heralding the beginning of James Gunn’s fresh take on the DC Universe; and the long-awaited addition to the “Jurassic Park” series, “Jurassic World: Rebirth.” Additionally, we’ll get to witness “Ne Zha 2,” the record-breaking animated film globally, right here in India.

Regarding expanding Warner Bros. Discovery’s successful franchises from cinema into immersive experiences such as Indian theme parks, Nohwar mentions that they are considering various possibilities but moving forward with caution. He adds, “Presently, for instance, we have ‘Chhota Bheem’ established in Imagicaa, a theme park situated outside of Mumbai. As for the potential creation of a WB-themed park, that is also an area we are still assessing.

Nohwar explains that such an endeavor demands a longer period for maturation and a greater dedication of investment funds. To ensure we’re fully prepared, he wants us to be absolutely certain before committing this patient capital in the market. At present, India is being considered as part of our planning or analysis process, but it remains unclear if we will indeed invest in the country at this time.

In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Discovery and Cartoon Network in India, Nohwar contemplates the profound influence these networks have exerted. He expresses that they’ve transcended their roles as mere television channels in India and instead have become an integral part of the nation’s cultural tapestry.

He adds, “Not only have we delivered global content to local communities, but we’ve also crafted experiences that have left lasting impressions on generations.

Regarding queries about a solo Max channel debut in India, Nohwar mirrors the sentiments expressed by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and president of global streaming and games JB Perrette during his interview with EbMaster. He stated that the company is exploring multiple strategies, such as licensing agreements, diverse partnership models, and a potential self-service Max launch for consumers directly.

He emphasizes the importance of ensuring the financial aspects supporting that decision are accurate and long-lasting,” he explains.

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2025-04-09 16:48