Toon boom

Walt Disney’s Zoradi: Coming soon: live action films from India.

For the Walt Disney group, the interest in India continues unabated. In mid-2006, the Walt Disney Company acquired just under a 15 per cent stake in UTV Software, apart from buying out the kids entertainment channel, Hungama TV. It has now followed that up with an agreement with Yash Raj Films (YRF) to produce animation films. Both the companies-Walt Disney and YRF-will be equal partners in this joint venture and the first film, Roadside Romeo, will be released next year.

According to Mark Zoradi, President, the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, this development is more strategic than anything that his company has ever done before. "It is for the first time that we have committed to a local language, country-specific animated project exclusively with a local player," Zoradi told BT. Roadside Romeo, which will be directed by Jugal Hansraj, will be targeted at the market for Indian films in the country as well as overseas. Though there are no plans to open a full-fledged studio in India, Walt Disney's broad gameplan for India is reasonably clear.

"We are looking to make live action films with a number of potential players. These will be co-productions, the way we do them in England, Spain, Germany and Latin America," says Zoradi. Understandably, the potential in the Indian entertainment industry is not something that the Walt Disney Group wants to miss out on. Animation, which Zoradi describes as the "heart and soul of the Walt Disney Company," will be the initial foray. "We will start with Hindi and then explore other languages," he adds.

If Walt Disney is moving slower in India than in many other parts of the world, that's understandable. As Zoradi points out: "India is one of the most complicated markets… From a long-term perspective, it remains extremely strategic for us." For now, the story is about animation. "Last year, the biggest grosser in the US was Pirates of the Caribbean which was followed by Cars. The market for animation in the US today is large and we see a lot of potential in the Indian market," concludes Zoradi.