Motu Patlu and Mighty Bheem-- India’s local cartoons that went international

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Motu Patlu and Mighty Bheem-- India’s local cartoons that went international
Nick

  • Motu Patlu was the fourth most searched show on Google in 2018 in China.
  • The show was also declared as the ninth most searched keyword in India and fourth most searched show in the world, in Google Trends 2018.

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India’s favourite cartoon show, Nickelodeon’s Motu Patlu, has won hearts across the border, in China. It was the fourth most searched show on Google in 2018, said China Internet Report 2019.

The report however does not reveal any details about the viewership of the show in the country. The show was also declared as the ninth most searched keyword in India and fourth most searched show in the world, in Google Trends 2018.

Motu Patlu is a classic Indian cartoon series on the same lines as Laurel and Hardy. Two best friends Motu and Patlu constantly run into trouble, and subsequently chased by a police officer. The show reportedly garnered more than 3 million views on WowKidz, Cosmos Mayas’ and Youtube India in 2018. Interestingly, show is geo-blocked on Youtube.

Anish Mehta, CEO Cosmos Maya, had earlier said that the show is their biggest property and they look forward to more viewership in 2019.

Global hit Indian Shows

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Motu Paltu is not the only Indian toon to international. Netflix show Mighty Bheem, based on popular Indian show Chhota Bheem too garnered viewers internationally. Infact, the series’ 21 short Youtube videos have grossed 22 million viewers.

And its ‘local’ flavour is the reason for its success. “The content is authentically Indian. The setting is rural India. The stories and characters are local. The more authentically local the show is, the better it travels,” Ted Sarandos chief content officer of Netflix told Business Insider India.

If the trend continues, Indian cartoons might give a tough competition to their Japanese counterparts. For decades, Japanese cartoons and characters like Shin Chan, Doraemon, Pokemon and Ninja Hattori have been capturing the minds of children around the world, telling authentic Asian stories. Now, it could be the time for Indian toons.
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