Hungama Channel asked me to make 12 ten second shorts using the medium of animation, telling time at one hour intervals. It had been on the channel’s list of pending action for a long time.
The twelve shorts had to be structured as a series of gags following the adventures of a character, ‘Aachoo – the time teller’ as he explores with his friends the fantastical world of ‘Kuttimalaya.’ Apart from reminding us of time the way an alarm does, these shorts actually use numbers and digits to teach children to count.
Aachoo is a five-year-old child. With his purple hair and yellow vest, he brings in the factor of time in the weirdest ways. He fights against crime and is also romantic by nature. He is always curious to know everything around him. What actually makes him special is Mr. Goi, who is a part of himself. Through the shorts, he explores more characteristics of Mr. Goi.
Other characters like Gaba and Boooo who are Aachoo’s friends, Appa Chicken, the cock with a man’s face; Kokachi, a blue hairy monster; and Girl, Aachoo’s love interest are the ones through whom Aachoo shows time in the twelve shorts.
The fundamentals of the channel were comedy, learning, being energetic and ‘whacked out.’ The time check was made keeping in mind children in the age group 4-12 years. It had to appeal to children of the mentioned age group and yet not limit viewership to them.
My project besides being about Aachoo was also about my travel from a stage of confusion to a stage of conclusion. Whenever I could not change anything around me, I changed myself in that context and everything fell into place.
