Coinciding with the holiday season for schools, Chhota Bheem, the Indian comic hero created by Hyderabad-based Greengold Animations, is set to stage a comeback on big screens in May first week with ‘Chhota Bheem and the Throne of Bali’, the second theatrical in as many years from the animation company.

The movie, which will be released under the Yash Raj Films banner, is expected to be released in 400 screens across India. It would also have international release in South East Asian countries and West Asia. This would be followed by a staggered release to coincide with the school holidays in Europe and North America.

Speaking to Financial Chronicle, its founder Rajiv Chilaka said the film will be launched in four languages and will be 100 minutes duration. The movie production and marketing expenses have been pegged at about Rs 10 crore.

It made the ‘Chhota Bheem and the Curse of Damyaan’ last year with Rs4 crore and the collections has resulted in a break even. “We will release at least one movie every year in the theatres,” Chilaka said. About 250 animators have worked on the movie needing about 12 frames per second.

The team has engaged the services of Bali natives for music, he said.

Meanwhile, the company is in talks with a handful of companies for licencing deals. It already has more than ten plus products where Bheem and his team are the ambassadors. It now has 29 retails stores selling garments, puzzles, toys and other paraphernalia and will look to expand in the smaller cities, he said.

Among others, it is working to serve laddus to students in the mid-day meal programmes in some schools. This would be done on a no-profit basis but logistics are yet to be finalised in view of the perishable nature of the food stuff, he said.

Also banking on the popularity of the homegrown television character, the company is working to spread personal hygiene lessons among the children, Chilaka said.

Though it would add more animators to its workforce, it would look to outsource work to freelancers in Kolkatta, Philippines, Sri Lanka and other places. This year, it was working to deliver 18 films for the television.