Remember the iconic Amar Chitra Katha comics that were a staple for many kids during their summer holidays? What would they look like in today’s streaming era? Well, the answer is here. Applause Entertainment, which backed the recent hit series, Black Warrant, has teamed up with Amar Chitra Katha comics to adapt 400 of its stories into animated series. The first series, Kiya & Kayaan, will follow the adventures of two siblings, who stumble upon VR headsets that whisk them away to Storyland, a world built on tales from Indian mythology and folklore.
Kiya & Kayaan will stream on the studio’s YouTube channel ApplaToon that will be launched on April 25, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday and Friday. For Sameer Nair, managing director of the studio, the new offering combines mythology with technology to educate children— aged between four and eight years—about our heritage. “This is not just a new vertical for us; it’s a chance to shape young imagination through powerful Indian storytelling. With the series, based on the timeless Amar Chitra Katha Junior Library, we’re bringing heritage to the here and now,” he says. Preeti Vyas, President and CEO, Amar Chitra Katha, views it as a means for “digital-first” kids to “engage with Indian folk tales, culture, history, and values.”