Biggest Indian Animated Kids Franchises on Netflix

Pictures courtesy of Netflix

Netflix offers a robust selection of animated movies and series from India — including a couple of terrific Netflix Originals — that come in a variety of languages.

The beauty of the Netflix algorithm is that it can introduce us to titles from around the globe that we might not otherwise hear of. The same goes for when our kids start browsing through Netflix’s cartoon collection.

Many have subtitles for the avid little readers in your household. Here are some of the biggest Indian animated franchises on Netflix that are worth checking out.

Here’s a deep dive of the current list of kids animated titles originating out of India on Netflix US (other regions may vary).

Deepa & Anoop (2022) N

Format: Series
Seasons: 2 | Episodes: 18
Runtime: 24 minutes
Audio Languages: English (original) plus 28 others
Subtitles: 34 languages

Kids and adults alike will find something to enjoy in Netflix’s newest Indian Original cartoon, Deepa & Anoop, about a little girl and her elephant best friend. The series debuted in August 2022, and Netflix released a second season in early November. It’s a super-cute show about a kid who’s becoming more independent, but she runs into a few hiccups as she tries to help her family run their hotel: Mango Manor. The songs are catchy, and the voice actors are very good. Netflix went out of its way to make this show accessible, with 28 dubbed language options besides the original English audio track.

Chhota Bheem (2008-2021)

Format: Series & Movies
Seasons: 5 | Episodes: 88
Movies available: 20
Languages: Hindi (original) & English; some movies are dubbed in Tamil & Telugu

Chhota Bheem (“Little Bheem“) creator Rajiv Chilaka turned to Indian mythology for inspiration when he wanted to start his own animation franchise. His kid hero Bheem is based on Bhima from the ancient epic Mahabharata, who was known for his strength. Little Bheem gets his superpowers from eating sweet laddus, and he serves as the protector and all-around problem solver for the fictitious rural medieval village of Dholakpur. Netflix owns streaming rights to four seasons of the main Chhota Bheem series, plus an offshoot series called Chhota Bheem Kung Fu Dhamaka. The 2021 movie Chhota Bheem ki Citi Pitti Gul premieres on Netflix on December 1.

Mighty Little Bheem (2020-2022) N

Format: Series & Special
Seasons: 6 | Episodes: 7
Runtime: 6 minutes
Languages: no dialogue

The first of Netflix’s Indian Original animated properties is a spin-off of Chhota Bheem, featuring the world’s strongest boy as a toddler. Mighty Little Bheem consists of a main series with three seasons, three limited-run series of three episodes each, and the 20-minute special I Love Taj Mahal. Mighty Little Bheem has no dialogue — Bheem makes baby noises and the adults just make wordless exclamations — which can take some getting used to. Episodes do come with English and Hindi audio descriptions and closed captions.

Motu Patlu (2013-2019)

Format: Movies
Movies available: 14
Languages: Hindi (original), Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tami, & Telugu; English subtitles

Motu Patlu originated as a comic strip about a pair of friends who are a lot like the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. Chubby Motu gets into trouble — especially when samosas are around — and lanky Patlu tries in vain to stop him. The Motu Patlu movies have a variety of backdrops — from robots to dinosaurs to sea creatures to kung fu — so choosing which film to start with is really just a question of what your kiddos are most interested in.

Taarak Mehta Kka Chhota Chashma (2021)

Format: Series
Seasons: 2 | Episodes: 80
Languages: Hindi (original), Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tami, & Telugu; English subtitles

Taarak Mehta Kka Chhota Chashma (“Taarak Mehta’s Small Spectacles“) is an animated spin-off of the long-running sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma (which itself is based on a weekly magazine column by humorist Taarak Mehta). Both series take place in an apartment complex in Mumbai populated by a diverse array of citizens who experience an assortment of mundane problems (like being subject to dangerous dance moves in the clip below). When something goes wrong, a little boy named Tapu and his friends spring into action to help.