TV & OTTs' ode to the long-lost inner child this Children’s Day

The over year and a half of social isolation that we all have faced due to the global pandemic has brought about several changes in our behaviour and how we interact with each other. Even as adults have found this period tough to handle, the long months of being confined at home and attending online classes have been particularly difficult for children.

Parents have despaired over this loss of innocence in their children and the fear set within them while stepping out of the sanctity of their homes as schools reopen without a vaccination drive for children below the age of 18 years.

Therefore, this Children’s Day comes with a reassurance to the little ones that life is on the mend, and while some things have changed forever, kids can once engage in the fun and frolic that is so much a part of their childhood years.

TV channels and OTT platforms alike have come up with a slew of content for Children’s Day this year – be it series, animated features and films – to help ease the minds of the children as they immerse themselves in a magical world. Grown-ups, too, can join in the fun and discover their inner child once again.

Netflix

This Children’s Day, Netflix is encouraging parents to give their kids the ‘Yes Day’ that they deserve, while at the same time taking the right viewing decisions for their family by using the amazing controls that Netflix offers – from pin controls to age ratings. Here are some of the amazing stories on Netflix that the whole family can enjoy:

For the little ones

Mighty Little Bheem [Series]: It centers around a toddler, inspired from the mythological character Bheem, who with his boundless curiosity and extraordinary might amazes his friends and everyone else around him.

Waffles and Mochi [Series]: Take a culinary adventure with these two taste-buddies and former first lady Michelle Obama with their magical flying shopping cart as they blast off on global ingredient missions, traveling to kitchens, restaurants, farms and homes all over the world, cooking up recipes with everyday ingredients alongside renowned chefs, home cooks, kids and celebrities.

StarBeam [Series]: This colorful animated series revolves around the life of the 8-year-old Zoey, who has a secret Identity and is responsible for keeping the people of Somerset safe. Watch as she transforms into StarBeam, a kid-sized superhero.

Vivo [Film]: Take a musical adventure with the one-of-a-kind, musically gifted Kinkajou, Vivo who spends his days playing music to the crowds with his beloved owner Andrés.

Wish Dragon [Film]: Explore the fairytale life of Din, a teenager, who is on a quest to connect with his long lost childhood best friend Lina and stumbles across a powerful wish-granting dragon, Long. The enchanting series sets off with Din and Long’s hilarious journey through modern day Shanghai in search of Lina.

For teens

Skater Girl [Film]: This is inspiring an adventure with Prerna a.k.a Skater Girl, a local teen from a remote village of Rajasthan, who discovers her life-changing passion for skateboarding.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before [Film]: Explore the romantic adventures that Lara Jean Covey goes through in her high school with this trilogy. The movie presents a refreshing take on high school romance through genuine friendships, sisterhood and romantic encounters.

Never Have I Ever [Series]: A series revolving around an Indian-American teenage girl, Devi, who struggles to navigate through a different culture, trying to fit in at a new school in the US, meeting the expectations of her parents and establishing a social status for herself.

The Kissing Booth [Film]: Elle Evans is faced with the hardest decision of her life as she has to choose between moving across the country with her dreamy boyfriend Noah, fulfilling her lifelong promise to go to college with her BFF Lee or getting into the college of her dreams.

For the family

Yes Day [Film]: Dive into the lives of the typical American parents, Carlos and Allison, who are tired of saying ‘No’ to their three kids and decide to give them a “YES DAY”, where the children are in-charge of making up the rules for 24 hours and the parents simply cannot say ‘no’.

The Secret Life of Pets: 2 [Film]: This colourful animated sequel explores the life of Max, the spoiled Terrier dog, who faces new fears and changing relationship dynamics with his owner, Katie, who now has a baby. It also explores the bonds between pets and the families that love them and answers the much-asked question: What are your pets doing when you’re not at home?

Kung Fu Panda [Film]: Who doesn’t love Po, the lovable, foodie, sometimes clumsy, super energetic Panda, who we just cannot stop laughing on sight of. Take a wild adventure with him and his crazy crew as they defend the valley from attack.

Hotel Transylvania [Film]: Count Dracula runs a high-end resort for monsters and is overprotective of his daughter Mavis. Watch as his worst fears are put to test when a human named Johnny enters the resort and puts a nail in his coffin forever.

Despicable Me [Film]: Time to take a trip to the skies with Gru, a supervillain and an adorable father, his three adopted girls – Margo, Agnes and Edith, and the ever-lovable minions as they hatch a plan to carry out the biggest heist and steal the moon.

Nickelodeon

Kids are gearing up for offline learning after a hiatus of more than a year. Through this period of staying away from school and friends, kids have seldom found a platform to express themselves. Keeping this in mind, this Children’s Day, Nickelodeon is all set to inspire kids to express themselves, unfiltered, through a fun and empowering campaign #NoStressExpress.

As part of this initiative, Nick through its super star Nicktoons – ‘Chikoo & Bunty’, ‘Happy & Pinaki’, ‘Paw Patrol’ and others – has called for kids to candidly speak their heart out in a 10-second video and upload it on nickindia.com, and stand a chance to feature on Nick. In addition to this, special Children’s Day programming stunts are also planned on November 13 and 14 on the franchise channels to entertain kids. Not only is the channel taking kids on a stress-free ride through an Express-a-thon, but kids can also express their love for their favourite Nicktoons with 99Pancakes limited edition combos.

LionsGate

Lionsgate Play has curated special kids movies for Children’s Day – ranging from ‘Furry Vengence’ and ‘Mahek Mirza’ to ‘I am Kalam’. Also, ‘Spy Kids 4’, ‘Cinderella’, ‘Astro Boy’, ‘Aladdin’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and more are here to bring mystery to the screens. This Children’s Day, Lionsgate is letting kids experience the magic of innocence and enter the world of unending imagination.

9X Media

On this special occasion, music television network 9X Media has announced the launch of ‘Loppipops’, which combines learning and music. Starting November 14, ‘Loppipops’ Kids learning channel will be available on YouTube. The channel will showcase a specially designed and curated playlist of kids’ rhymes and videos, presented by the popular duo Bade-Chote and their gang of animated characters. ‘Loppipops’ is a destination for preschoolers to learn with music!

POGO

POGO will be airing the ever popular ‘Shaktimaan’ (Mahayuddha ka Aarambh) - The Battle Begins. This action-packed installment of Shaktimaan follows a fierce battle between Vehaan Arya (AKA Shaktimaan) and Kilvish, a spurned enemy. The series also features the villain’s underlings Tick and Tock, a wi-fi controlling ‘Cyber Soul’, a destructive robot, and an oily Blob Monster – there are enough bad guys for Shaktimaan to quash this time around.

Cartoon Network

‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ will be back with the magical world of wizards. The second installment in the Harry Potter film series follows boy wizard Harry’s second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as the Heir of Salazar Slytherin opens the Chamber of Secrets, unleashing a monster that petrifies the school’s denizens. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger. Catch ‘Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets’ on Cartoon Network on 14^th November at 10:30 am.

&flix and &PrivéHD

&flix and &PrivéHD channels have come up with a fun-filled line-up featuring movies which take us on a nostalgic ride with films like ‘Smurfs: The Lost Village’, ‘A Wrinkle in Time’, where brave children go on a dangerous journey to a planet. Giving us memories of the profound teachings – ‘fighting for good with determination pays off’ – comes ‘Cloudy with the Chance of Meatballs’, the story of Flint Lockwood, an inventor who is considered a nuisance, putting his latest invention to work when his town faces an economic crisis. His invention makes him popular until it spirals out of control.

Disney

Who said Children's Day can only be celebrated by kids?

This Children's Day, Disney India has decided to be a little goofy with their favourite hosts Vishal & Simran.
The 'Imagine That' hosts have let loose the kid in them and are goofing around with lots of fun, love and laughter.

Vishal & Simran are letting themselves be a little goofy and they hope you #GoofyItUp too.

Zee Theatre plays that take you back to the wonder years

Watch ‘Daak Ghar' and ‘Maya: Find Your Light’ to relive the innocence of childhood

On Children’s Day (November 14), revisit the fondest memories of childhood, tune into innocence and the wonders of unfettered imagination with Zee Theatre teleplays. Watch Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s famous creation, ‘Daak Ghar’, and the beautifully told, mythical tale, ‘Maya - Find your light’ on Tata Sky Theatre at 2 pm and 8 pm respectively.

An overview of the plays:
Daak Ghar: Daak Ghar is an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s poignant story of the same name and was originally written in 1912. The play follows the story of young boy Amal, who has been confined to a room because of ill health. A single window in the room is his only access to the world outside. On being informed that the King is building a Post Office nearby, the debilitated kid with a big imagination begins to yearn to become the King’s postmaster. Daak Ghar stars Krrish Chhabria, Saurabh Goyal, Kishore C. Srivastava, and Anupriya Goenka and is directed by Nagesh Kukunoor.

Maya - Find your light: When the evil king of darkness threatens to conquer the kingdom of light, the responsibility of saving the kingdom and its people falls on the shoulders of its 13- year- old princess Maya. She must travel through treacherous forests, mountains, and villages and lift three curses to defeat the king. Accompanied by her goofy peacock friend and a snake, Maya sets out on this life-transforming adventure to “find her light.” The play stars Khushi Chauhan, Prasad Kela, Priyanka Patil, Rutuja Bhoite, Shlok Sadlapurkar, Yash Agarwal and Aniket Sahani. It is directed by Laurent Festas and Sanaya Bharucha.