Vega Tamotia, a 29-year-old actress from India, realised in April this year that her little nephew did not know any Hindi nursery rhymes. He knew “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” and “Johnny, Johnny”, but not “Upar chanda gol gol” or “Posham pa”. Worried that Indian children living in metros or abroad were missing out on the rhymes their parents grew up with, Tamotia decided to find a new way to revive the poems.
Ghotu Motu ki Toli, his web series from Tamotia, aims to introduce children to the magic of classic Indian rhymes. Her team has already rolled out the first set of rhymes and, Tamotia said, there are more in the offing. “We are trying to create homegrown content for children to recite, learn and remember in a new way that goes beyond just reading from the books," she said.
Now living in the United States, Tamotia teamed up with filmmaker Stephen Hays. “After brainstorming, we decided to assemble a team,” she said. “The main character is named after my nephew, who became an inspiration for the project.”
The result: bright and colourful Sesame Street-like characters Ghotu (the nickname of Tamotia’s nephew) and Motu. Along with four friends, the characters teach children Hindi rhymes through mobile apps and YouTube videos.
Ghotu is a young magician, while Motu is a nerd who loves to burst into songs. Gullo is an athletic girl, while Bugsy is the well-travelled, well-read wise one.
The first video was launched in late November. Here are some of the popular rhymes they have recreated.
Upar Chanda Gol Gol
Posham Pa
Machli jal ki raani hai
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Ghotu Motu ki Toli, his web series from Tamotia, aims to introduce children to the magic of classic Indian rhymes. Her team has already rolled out the first set of rhymes and, Tamotia said, there are more in the offing. “We are trying to create homegrown content for children to recite, learn and remember in a new way that goes beyond just reading from the books," she said.
Now living in the United States, Tamotia teamed up with filmmaker Stephen Hays. “After brainstorming, we decided to assemble a team,” she said. “The main character is named after my nephew, who became an inspiration for the project.”
The result: bright and colourful Sesame Street-like characters Ghotu (the nickname of Tamotia’s nephew) and Motu. Along with four friends, the characters teach children Hindi rhymes through mobile apps and YouTube videos.
Varied characters
Ghotu is a young magician, while Motu is a nerd who loves to burst into songs. Gullo is an athletic girl, while Bugsy is the well-travelled, well-read wise one.
The first video was launched in late November. Here are some of the popular rhymes they have recreated.
Upar Chanda Gol Gol
Posham Pa
Machli jal ki raani hai