Cartoon Network has roped in South Indian playback singer, Karthik, to sing the title track of the action packed show Pokemon - Master Quest for the Tamil and Telugu feed. Slated to kick off on 18 May, the show will also continue to be telecast in English and Hindi.

With the regional kid's television genre shaping up in India, Cartoon Network will also launch two more shows in Tamil and Telugu in the month of May. These include the Dragon Ball Z series and The Justirisers along with the other classics like Richie Rich, the all new Popeye show, Scooby, Akbar & Birbal, Tom and Jerry Tales and Tom and Jerry movies, amongst others.

Turner International India VP advertising sales and networks, India and South Asia Monica Tata said, "Cartoon Network, as the leader in kids' television, looks to providing its audiences with the best programming and entertainment across its various initiatives. We are happy to partner with Karthik, the leading playback singer, for the Tamil and Telugu adaptation of the popular series, Pokemon. Coupled with the popularity Karthik commands and the viewership that Cartoon Network generates, we are sure the title track created specially for kids in South India will appeal to them, making their favourite block, Toonami, even more appealing."

Speaking about his first foray in the kids' television category Karthik said, "Children form a big part of my fan following and singing the title track of one their most popular shows - Pokemon on Cartoon Network, the number one kids' channel of the country, is my way of thanking them! I enjoyed working with Cartoon Network and singing the title tracks Pokemon in Tamil and Telugu. I am happy that kids in South India can enjoy their favourite show in their language and I am a part of this! I am excited about the track and hope kids like it too."

Originally in Japanese, the Pokemon series has been translated in over eleven languages including English, French, Mexican, Spanish, Swedish, Portuguese, Dutch, Arabic, Hindi, and now in Tamil and Telugu.

I don't understand Tamil nor Telugu, hehe but I think that's great news for the people who do, especially in South India. Hmm.. I wonder how it sounds in those languages

argh!!!!
It was the last insult to injury cartoon network could do to something like pokemon!

Oh CN, plz have pity on us!!! Keep those shows English!

Yes, I understand you Nem, but in that case if you wanna cheer for the dubs, I'd cheer for the original Japanese raws, which are free from any 4Kids butchering of music, scenes, paintover craps...

Many of us who suddenly get switched over from English to Hindi find that the latter is quite unpleasing to them. With the language made even more simple, the Americanization gone, and in this case, the renaming of a lot of elements like attacks.

That goes for us, but what about those kids or viewers, most in rural India, who do not understand the American English used in the anime? It's not the same English that is widely used in India. What's the point in watching if you can't really understand the show well.

With the advancement in dubbing, it's quite amazing how India I believe is the only country that provides Pokémon in quadraple audio (English+Hindi+Tamil+Telugu). We should infact we proud of it, we have it localized to that extent. The fact of liking it or not comes later on. Channels like Toon Disney infact provide shows 24/7 in those same 4 languages. This is just so that more viewers from regions in India, where the only English understood by the public is simple primary school English, enjoy watching the show in their own comfy language. Especially because in South India, in most homes, neither English NOR Hindi is understood, hence the reason for dubbing in those 2 particular languages, rather than any other random Indian language like Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, where at the least Hindi is widely understood by the people.

At the most I can suggest you rather switch to a satellite tv service like Tata Sky which lets you switch between the audio with the push of a button, or contact your cable operator, if you are one of those US Pokémon dub freaks.

If you are interested in helping the fandom spread around, so does CNIndia, and providing localized versions of the dub is the first step towards it.

PS: Check out the fandom in the US sometime and you'll see how they're turning more towards the original Japanese Pocket Monsters version, rather than their own native one.

Well, I understand what you mean, but atleast you didn't have to cry over SOVA. :<
Also, CN-India does wonderful stuff with the openings, IMO better than the English Openings.

Karthik on a roll
[highlight=violet]Playback singer Karthik enthrals young fans with his title track for Pokemon[/highlight]
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A different tune Karthik[/align]

After Munna and Aata in Telugu as also Unnale Unnale in Tamil and more, playback singer Karthik has yet another feather in his cap — he has sung the title track of Pokemon on Cartoon Net work in Telugu and Tamil.

With already over 700 songs in his kitty in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi (Saathiya and Yuva), the Chennai-based artiste is elated about the project. “It was for the first time that I tried usi ng Tamil and Telugu words in an authentic rock song. It was an exciting process,” he says, about the one-minute track that’s gone on air recently.

A ear for music

A world music, Hindustani music, hip hop and pop music buff, Karthik says: “I listen to anything that appeals to me. I don’t follow any particular band.”

“People have been kind to me,” he says, on his breakthrough track for Boys and the cult following later. “I was very fortunate when I started. I thank God that I met the right people,” he says. Ask him about the current talent hunts, and he says: “It is destiny at the end of the day. The shows boost confidence and there are people from the industry judging you. I took part in television shows 10 years back when I started. It did help. But, singing live for shows and in studios is different,” he says.

And if not playback singing, what else would he be doing? “I would have been a chartered accountant and it would have been a disaster… I started with MCA but couldn’t complete it,” he says. Any plans for the silver screen? “Acting is a different art. I want to stay focussed so that I can improve my singing.”

SYEDA FARIDA

To have dubs in more language will result in the success of Dubbing industry