DQE to make TV movie, series on Ray's Feluda

Hyderabad-based animation, gaming and entertainment company DQ Entertainment International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the AIM-listed DQ Entertainment Plc, is developing an animated tele-movie and animated television series – The Mysteries and Feluda – a series of detective novels and short stories written by famous Indian film director and writer Satyajit Ray.

‘The Kathmandu Caper’, the first animated tele-movie is being adapted and written for animation in London by children’s writer Charles Hodges. The story revolves around a client with an evil look-alike, a kidnap in the neighbourhood and a gang that is involved in illegal activities.

The kidnap of a stranger in the neighbourhood leads Feluda, with his 14-year-old smart cousin Topshe, funny but smart friend Jayayu and their wily dog Bones to Kathmandu and then straight into the den of Maganlal Meghraj, their old formidable adversary.

DQE’s objective is to introduce this genre of animated TV series to the new generation of discerning young TV viewers – first to the tweens in this region and then worldwide, Tapaas Chakravarti, chairman and chief executive of the DQE Group, stated in a press release on Tuesday.

“We have bagged the exclusive rights of 15 Feluda stories from Ray’s family, with the first right of refusal for the remaining. DQE will be the sole producer of the entire series,” Chakravarti had told Business Standard in April 2009. Satyajit Ray penned 35 Feluda stories between 1965 and the late 80s. “Satyajit Ray is very well appreciated by the intelligentsia in France, which conferred him with the Lègion d’Honneur. There are also cult-followers of Ray in countries like the UK which we will capitalise,” he had said.