September 05, 2006
Desi Sesame Street (w/video)TV
There’s now a Hindi-language version of Sesame Street being broadcast on Indian TV, called Galli Galli Sim Sim. It’s filmed in Delhi, and it appears to be the second twenty-seventh adaptation of the Sesame Street idea . And no, I don’t know what the heck Laura Bush is doing there. 
After the jump, you’ll find a Youtube link with a clip that I think you’ll enjoy. But first, an introduction to the “muppet” characters on Galli Galli Sim Sim:
*Boombah, a hedonistic lion who believes he is descended from one of India’s historic royal families. Coincidentally, Boombah bares a resemblance to Goleo VI from the 2006 Fifa World Cup, a puppet constructed by The Jim Henson Company.
* Chamki, a schoolgirl dressed in the uniform of an Indian government school
* Googly, Chamki’s best friend, named after the cricket delivery and with a cricket ball-like nose
* Aanchoo, a storyteller who is transported to other places when she sneezes (link)
Any show with a hedonistic lion is all right with me. I also like both “Googly” and “Aanchoo” as character names. Though I don’t think they’ve got anything yet to compete with the name “Snuffleupagus”.
And now for our main attraction:
Another short Galli Galli Sim Sim clip is here.
More details on the goals and methods of Galli Galli Sim Sim are here and here. One difference from the American version might be that this show is being broadcast on commercial children’s channels: Turner Cartoon Network and POGO.
Also check out Muppet Wiki.
UPDATE: Ennis reminds me SM has blogged about this show before, albeit before filmng actually began. Yaha aur yaha.
SECOND UPDATE: I’ve been informed by a reliable source that though GGSS will be broadcast on commercial channels in India, the actual broadcasts will be commercial-free. Moreover, there are tentative plans to branch out into other Indian languages in the future.
amardeep on September 5, 2006 11:12 PM in TV · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post
laura bush was there during the president's trip to india earlier this year. she made a special guest appearance with nafisa ali.
I remember the India trip! I meant, it just seemed random that the best image I could find as I was working on this had Laura Bush in it.
(Now I'm seeing better ones)
Awesome! Beautiful. It sounds so nice in Hindi.
After two years my question has been answered. Big Bird was not replaced by a Big Peacock but rather by a big lion-looking thing.
sorry, didn't get the drift. i wonder how many indian celebrities/notable personalities etc. have appeared on it?
totally unrelated - news about Saif Ali Khan shooting in NYC:
http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2006/09/05/bollywood_in_th.php
If this show is done well, it can be a powerhouse. Indian culture adapted to a kids' show can be a potent mix...few countries would be able to match it for sheer color, music, and traditional elements (as well as diversity). I also like the fact that they want to make rural kids seem cool to urban kids...the only way to do that is to highlight rural culture as positively as possible. One thing that MIGHT be a cause for concern:
Does this meant the show will indulge in the usual stereotyping of different Indian ethnicities? Perhaps not...it remains to be seen. For now I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, since the creators seem to be on the ball in every other department. If done well, emphasizing regional differences could be great since it helps maintain diversity and prevents wholescale homogenisation. And I am SO GLAD this show is not in English!
Goodness this is adorable. No kid should be deprived of Sesame Street-like television programming. Does India have anything like school house rock? That show was amazing too. Changed my life.
This is lovely.
Just wondering - what is meant by the second adaptation of the Sesame Street idea? There are about a dozen, aren't there? Canada's is, sadly, no longer with us. But there are others.
Awww...that's adorable.
I grew up in the Middle East and used to watch the Arabic version as a kid - Iftah ya Simsim (Open Sesame) and I know there's another Arabic version now - Alam Simsim, so this can't be the second adaptation. Anyways, it's great that kids back home now have alternatives to Teletubbies, et al.
Sorry, I was just going from that particular Wikipedia site. I had no idea there were so many Sesame Streets already!
Another Galli Galli Sim Sim clip. Nice chance for Hindi practice ;-)
I totally agree, and as a precedent one only need to look at the success of Amar Chitra Katha. I grew up in the U.S., but I can go toe-to-toe on indian religion and culture with either one of my ultra-traditional Brahmin Iyer grandfathers based solely on knowledge I gathered from reading those comic books as a child.
wink-wink all you like, 'Deep-- I figure if I watch Galli Galli Sim Sim every morning, just like I did English and French Sesame Street, I'll at least build up the Hindi skills of a 5 year old. I've got goals, man, I've got goals...
This looks amazing for little kids both in India and from Indian backrgound. I am an ABCD, but I would have loved to have this when I was little.
Plus, they have a Kabir so it's all good.
Why does Googly have a unibrow?
I want to see a Punjabi version: "Aj da show tuhadi layi hazir hai... Matra Sassa valon... te number Do"
Hanuman: Um, because he's a puppet? Do unibrows have to happen for a reason?
Bert had a unibrow. We have to represent, too. :P
Google is obviously a Punjabi puppet. Unibrows being common amongst many North Indians, you see ;)
Or maybe he's just a fan of Kajol, and abstaining from this particular aspect of personal grooming is his tribute to his favourite actress.
Apologies, that should say "Googly", not Google as in the search engine. I don't want to add any more fuel to the conspiracy that Punjabis secretly rule the world. Although they actually do.
so adorable!! someday they will have one in kannada...oh yes, they will.
So can we assume that Google spins the other way? ;-)
I love how the topic of unibrows on puppets came up...lol...i do find it quite unusual that puppets have unibrows...quite interesting although...
SQUEAL!!!!!!
/jumps up and down and claps
I love the lion!!!!
Of course they need a Bengali Version so they can take advantage of Abol Tabol.
awwww. the girl is just perfectly cute. thanks for making my clock tick a bit louder.
I've never really seen much of Sesame Street. I'm dying to see Avenue Q though. Now that's an adaptation :)
Th photo reminds me of the Wizard of Oz with Dorothy & the Lion (no tinman or scarecrow though).
I like Boombah! Hopefully he has his heart in the right place.
Apologies, that should say "Googly", not Google as in the search engine. I don't want to add any more fuel to the conspiracy that Punjabis secretly rule the world. Although they actually do.
I am pretty sure they do. And to support my case, here is Exhibit Uno : the word "yaha" in Amardeep's post. It is Punjabi, isn't it? They are takin' over Austin just as they took over New Delhi. Just kidding, of course :)
Another desi dude, nope -- Hindi for "here" (it's sometimes spelled yahaan). Punjabi would be "ethe".
Ah, there goes the theory then :) Nice post, BTW, Amardeep. I thought the jingle was really catchy. I just *knew* they would do a good job with that. I am prolly the only adult in Texas going "Galli galli galli galli sim sim, galli galli sim sim..." :)
Growing up in India, I remember there were a few indigenously produced cartoons, although I don't recall seeing well-developed educational ones. Might be a good space to venture into.
This is absolutely adorable!!
I really hope the efforts to make this a fun, educational, and solid show are maximized. A development like this has the potential to do an immense amount of good to Indian youth in terms of education and socially constructed laws and beliefs (i.e. being dark-skinned is not good, etc.)
In response to #5:
The wikipedia article for the show has a list of a few pretty notable Indian guests that are scheduled to make appearances during the first season.
In response to #2:
This show was made with funding from the U.S. government, hence Laura Bush posing with some of the characters.