MUMBAI: Iconic cop Chulbul Pandey is coming to the small screen in an animated avatar with the quirky and exciting new cartoon called Dabangg - The Animated Series. Produced by Cosmos-Maya, the show is an extension of the highly successful Bollywood film franchise and will debut on WarnerMedia’s kids TV channel Cartoon Network in mid-2021.

Dabangg is the latest WarnerMedia/Cosmos-Maya collaboration, with the two companies having recently worked together on the production of Titoo – Har Jawaab Ka Sawaal Hu and upcoming Lambu-G Tingu-G. Titoo has consistently been in the top-five most viewed kids show since its launch on WarnerMedia’s other kids channel Pogo in July.

Dabangg is set to be one of the first animations to retain the original version of a popular Bollywood character, rather than a re-imagined kids version. It’s hoped this will boost recognition of the IP and offer more relatability for kids and their parents.

Cosmos-Maya CEO  Anish Mehta said, “Following on from our announcement for the show’s OTT rights, our agreement with WarnerMedia for Dabangg corroborates our belief in the power and value of showcasing the IP across multiple platforms. Getting our domestic content, especially a title as premium and promising as Dabangg out on television, especially a network as is a given for the Indian market, where television is the strongest medium for maximum mass reach.”

Cartoon Network and Pogo South Asia Network head Abhishek Dutta said the channel has found Bollywood a great way to provide relatable and popular content to India’s young viewers, “The show is one of India’s first Bollywood-inspired animations that retains the essence of the original version to appeal to the whole family.”

By designing projects and content with suitability for both digital and TV mediums, Cosmos-Maya is creating space for larger future projects with greater budgets, and developing stories that are varied, distinct and suited for dissemination at a global scale.