On 10 May 2019, I was invited to the launch of the kid’s version of the popular movie franchise Golmaal by Sonic, titled Golmaal Jr. by Rohit Shetty. The animated show debuted on SONIC on 13 May 2019 at 1.30 pm.
Nickelodeon has always been one of our favorite channels and I looked forward to the experience.
The grand launch was held at ITC Maratha in Mumbai amid claps, chuckles, and cheers.
The stage was set.
The kids were excited, and so were the accompanying parents. There was a sense of anticipation in the air as we waited for Rohit Shetty.
He made a grand and energetic entrance along with pranksters Gopal and Madhav on hoverboards. The happiness levels in the audience skyrocketed as he took the stage, fielding questions from his eclectic audience with humor and absolute ease.
The Golmaal Jr Launch team
Kids were invited on stage to participate in fun and games including a round of musical chairs and more.
The Golmaal Jr. team posed on tandem bikes and wrapped up the show with picture taking sessions.
Obviously, everyone wanted a selfie with the superstar.
For those unfamiliar with the Golmaal series—gasp!—here’s the quick rundown:
Golmaal is a series of Indian action comedy films starring Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, and Tusshar Kapoor, directed by Rohit Shetty.
- First in the series launched in 2006 with the movie Golmaal: Fun Unlimited, with Ajay, Tusshar, Arshad, Sharman Joshi and Rimi Sen as the central cast.
- The sequel followed in 2008, Golmaal Returns, with Kareena Kapoor as the new leading lady and Shreyas Talpade replacing Sharman as Laxman.
- The third installment, Golmaal 3 released in 2010 and became the second-highest-grossing Bollywood film of that year.
- The fourth instalment of this series, Golmaal Again, came in 2017, this one going into the supernatural realm with Parineeti Chopra and Tabu on board.
- The fifth—Golmaal 5, is in the works.
With the huge success of the Singham movie series and now, the Little Singham kids show to his credit, Rohit Shetty is no stranger to a movie series being turned into an animation series.
Now, About Golmaal Jr.
Clearly, the Golmaal movie series is a huge hit and has a massive fan following and is almost a household name now. In fact, every time I turn on the TV one of the series is playing on some channel or other and we always have fun watching it.
The channel SONIC of Nickelodeon, in association with Reliance Animation and Rohit Shetty Picturez, brings the magic of the hilarious Golmaal movie series via a fun animated series that entertains kids.
Golmaal Jr is set in Golden View High School. It recreates the comic chaos of the film by pitting two prank gangs against each other. Mischievous and full of life, these two groups are obviously poles apart. The junior Gopal, Madhav, Laxman, and Lucky are pranksters, always creating havoc because of their constant bickering. This evolves through funny situations and the fantastic five keep their young audience laughing and enjoying themselves.
Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Head – Hindi Mass Entertainment and the Kids TV Network at Viacom18 was present at the launch and reiterated that Nickelodeon’s goal has always been to cater to the diverse entertainment needs of kids through an understanding of their choices. This is obvious through their creation of characters that are relatable, engaging and clutter breaking.
The launch was followed by a sumptuous dinner at the venue. After this, media teams were waiting to interview Rohit Shetty and I had the chance to listen in to a few. He is a warm, down-to-earth, and friendly person and kept up the repartee with the interviewers on a humorous note, as he talked about what was in store for kids through the show, what his son thought about his work, the creative process, his favorite cartoon shows and his forthcoming movie projects, along with some fun questions that kept everyone in splits.
I was in awe of Gopal and Madhav staying in that costume all evening, especially with their “heads” Must have been really hot in there!
Here’s a pic with them.
And one with Rohit Shetty, the director!
Overall, a great and memorable evening!
Parents, catch a nap while your kids enjoy Golmaal Jr. this summer vacation—it promises to be fun entertainment for kids. Or just catch the show with your kids on SONIC at 1.30 pm every day and enjoy the laughter riot with your kids.
Here’s the trailer of Golmaal Jr.
