VMPL
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 4: Kayhan Entertainment, an integrated IP-led ecosystem focused on original IP ownership and creative exports, has secured two prestigious wins across six total nominations at the ANN Awards 2026. Spanning creative and technical categories across its original IP slate, the recognition marks a major milestone for the studio’s rapid emergence in India’s animation landscape.
Kayhan converted two of its six nominations into category wins: Winner for DIGITAL/OTT (National): Best Animated Digital Series (2D) for Chote Tara Ka Bada Gadar; Winner – TECHNICAL (National): Best Director of a Digital Series awarded to Arushi Govil & Dalbir Singh for Shivlok Ke Kundakka Mandakka. The studio’s broader creative slate also earned national competitive nominations for Best Animated Digital Series (3D): Shivlok Ke Kundakka Mandakka and Best Director of a Digital Series (Technical): Arushi Govil & Dalbir Singh for Chote Tara Ka Bada Gadar (Season 1 & 2), Fab 5, and Smart KidZ. The recognition also extends to the music created for its IPs, with the title track of Shivlok Ke Kundakka Mandakka, composed and produced by Kayhan Entertainment, receiving recognition through KidZee/ZEE5. This further reflects the breadth of creative disciplines that Kayhan is bringing together under its original IP portfolio
Founded by Dalbir Singh and Arushi Govil, an IP-creator duo, Kayhan Entertainment is being built around a distinctive creative partnership that brings together storytelling vision, worldbuilding expertise and production discipline. The duo's complementary strengths are central to Kayhan's ambition of creating, owning and scaling original Indian IP for audiences across platforms and markets. Their approach reflects a broader vision of building an integrated creative ecosystem where original stories can evolve into long-term intellectual properties.
Arushi Govil, Co-Founder, Kayhan Entertainment, said, “For us, storytelling has always started with understanding what makes people feel, connect and remember a story. These wins are especially meaningful because they reflect the emotional depth, teamwork and creative effort that goes into bringing every world and character to life. We want to keep creating stories that entertain first, while leaving audiences with something that stays with them. There is so much more we want to build, and this recognition gives us even more excitement for the journey ahead.”
Dalbir Singh, Co-Founder, Kayhan Entertainment, said, “These recognitions are an important validation of the business we are building around original IP. Our focus is not just on creating successful individual shows, but on building properties that can scale across platforms, formats and markets and create long-term value. Alongside IP development, we are also investing in the talent ecosystem through Macra, because building a strong creative business requires a strong pipeline of skilled creators. Our goal is to build Kayhan into an Indian IP company with the capability to create, own, scale and export original content globally.”
The wins come at a significant time for both Kayhan Entertainment and the wider Indian animation ecosystem. Dalbir Singh also participated in an Animation Express panel on “Creating Content for Broadcast & Digital” at the Animation & More Summit 2026, sharing perspectives on the evolving opportunities for Indian creators and studios to develop original content that can resonate across platforms and markets.
For Kayhan, ANN Awards wins represent an early milestone in its journey as an IP-focused creative company. The recognition comes as Indian animation studios increasingly look beyond execution-led work towards creating and owning original intellectual property with the potential to travel across formats, platforms and international markets. With IP ownership at the core of its strategy, Kayhan Entertainment continues to focus on creating culturally rooted stories with long-term creative and commercial potential, while contributing to India's growing animation and digital entertainment ecosystem.
About Kayhan Entertainment
Kayhan Entertainment is a next-generation storytelling studio focused on building original IP rooted in Indian culture and designed for global audiences. Operating across animation, VFX, gaming, and digital storytelling, the studio combines creative vision with world-class production expertise to create culturally resonant stories with transmedia potential.
With IP ownership at the core of its strategy, Kayhan is committed to building long-term creative value through original storytelling while contributing to India's growing Orange Economy. The company is also building a talent ecosystem through Macra, its training initiative focused on nurturing the next generation of creators in animation, VFX, gaming, and digital storytelling. Students will be trained on cutting-edge tools and next-generation production technologies, ensuring they are equipped to create, collaborate, and compete in a rapidly evolving global content landscape.
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