In 2008, Chhota Bheem, donning his signature saffron dhoti, became every Indian kid’s best friend. Like Popeye’s spinach, ‘laddu’ suddenly became the anti-Kryptonite for fans. Eleven years down the line, Bheem—still in his childhood—holds a place in viewers’ hearts. With the latest Bheem flick—Chhota Bheem Kung Fu Dhamaka—hitting theatres tomorrow, Express spoke to Rajiv Chilaka, the man behind the iconic character.
Tell us about the new film.
We are very excited about it because Bheem is going to be seen in a 3D avatar for the first time. Stereoscopic 3D technology is used in the film. In terms of storytelling, this is the best Bheem film ever created. We have taken the film to a larger landscape and the visuals are larger than life. Set in China, the film is action-packed and conveys an underlying message of friendship. It has all the ingredients appealing to both kids and adults. The film will set a benchmark in quality and storytelling in India and Asia. I have a great feeling about the film.
There have been reports about staging a live-action musical on Chhota Bheem after the release of the film. Is it true?
Chhota Bheem has become a household name in India and many other countries. Hence, there is a scope for many things surrounding Bheem, a musical being one of them. Bheem in the musical will be a grown-up because he has been a kid on TV for so long. It will be staged in all metro cities in India. Once the film is released, our entire focus will be shifted to the musical. An announcement regarding the dates and venues will be made by the end of May.
What were the circumstances that led to the creation of Chhota Bheem ?
When I was growing up, there were no Indian superheroes. Any superhero I wanted to meet, such as Superman or Spiderman, were all in the US. Later, I realised Indian kids really did not have characters they could relate to. That’s how Bheem was born.
Prior to the airing of Chhota Bheem on Pogo TV in 2008, what was the cartoon space in India like?
It was a tough time for the Indian animation industry. Major children’s entertainment channels did not air local content. Green Gold Animations was a small company in 2008. To keep going, we had two choices: To outsource work from other companies or create something on our own. Creating something with such a small team was too risky. We were going completely against the tide. We couldn’t find any writers; the voiceover artists and other technicians we had were so inexperienced. That was the environment in which Bheem was introduced.
How did Chhota Bheem revolutionise the industry?
The character literally has been a gamechanger because it paved the way for a lot of opportunities in the animation industry. After Chhota Bheem, a lot of animation shows were made. The character has a lot of firsts. It became India’s biggest and longest-running show. It is a character running on TV for 11 years now and will probably go on for a lifetime. Bheem became India’s first Indian animated character to have its own line of branded merchandise; the first to have a licensed brand; the first to have four movies; the first to have a Netflix original; and the first to have spin-off series.
What is Chhota Bheem’s future?
He has a bright future ahead. Look at history. We have Spiderman, Avengers, and Superman. They were all born out of comics and now they all have their own films. Bheem is an iconic character for the Indian animation industry. The scope to do things with him is unlimited. Green Gold has the ambition to do a global live-action animated show with Bheem as the central character. And as for the Indian animation industry, it is only 20 years old. And we haven’t seen the last of it yet.