MUMBAI: Cartoon Network will premiere two Indian animation features - Son Of Alladin and The Legend of Buddha this month.
Son Of Alladin will be aired on 10 June at 2 pm and The Legend of Buddha will be telecast on 25 June at 12 noon.
The 80 minute feature, Son Of Alladin will be shown during the channel's Thanda Funda programming block.
The animated movie is an action adventure thriller about Mustafa, the Prince of Basra who is hunted down by an evil sorcerer. However, he meets his ladylove and also happens to rescue his long lost parents. It has been produced using motion capture technology and a photo realistic environment.
The other animation feature, The Legend of Buddha is slated to premiere during the Cartoon Network Theatre slot. This 2D animation feature is based on the journey of Prince Siddhartha of Kapilavastu, who abandons all worldly pleasures, for one of asceticism. The storyline follows the milestones that mark the path of the Prince towards Nirvana.
Produced by Pentamedia, the two feature-length animations take the tally of local animations acquired and showcased by Cartoon Network to 11, with three of these launching in 2006.
Turner International India Pvt. Ltd. MD Anshuman Misra said, "Cartoon Network is extremely proud of its pioneering role in bringing Indian folklore and historical tales to young audiences in a format that is appealing, educating and entertaining. We are also very happy that local animation has very quickly gained its rightful place of honour on the Network, right beside the ever-popular international animation shows, demonstrating that quality content, be it Indian or international, resonates with the discerning young viewers."
"In sync with our programming strategy of offering a healthy balance between International and Indian content, we will continue to entertain our fans across the country with no less than five additional local animation products within this year itself," he added.
Apart from airing Indian animation features on the channel, Cartoon Network is also scouting for fresh scripts from Indian animators.
"Having paved the way for Indian animation showcase on television channels in the country, we are very enthused by the success of these shows on the Network. Taking cue from the overwhelming positive response to Indian content by viewers across the country, Cartoon Network is now moving to the next level of being involved in the creative process. The Network is scouting avenues for lending its expertise on the likes and dislikes of Indian kids to partner studios from the conceptual stage to the finished product," adds Misra.
