The Journey of Mayapuri and Lotpot: A Tale of Indian Television's Iconic Legacy"

For the past fifty years, Mayapuri has established its global dominance as Bollywood's best and most popular Hindi film magazine. Similarly, Mayapuri's sister concern, Lotpot (established in 1969), and Lotpot's world-famous cartoon characters, Motu Patlu, became a fixture on Indian television at a time when the concept of hindi cartoons and educational stories for children was still lesser known. In a way, Lotpot, with the Motu Patlu series and Mayapuri were the first to truly connect with Indian television, sparking the public's attention and interest in television series. But how did this happen?

The Mayapuri Group's bond with Doordarshan has been strong and unbreakable since its inception. This was a time when there wasn't much entertaining or educational content for children. The little that existed was often in english disjointed, serious, and boring, preaching-type content that children didn't want to watch. In this context, A.P. Bajaj and Aman Bajaj collaborated with Doordarshan to create a series that was not only engaging and entertaining but also fun and also educated children. In those days, no one knew much about animation films or series. In 1987, under the guidance of Shri A. P. Bajaj his grandson Aman Bajaj first began producing episodes of "Merry Christmas"  for Doordarshan. This marked the debut of animated content on Doordarshan. As exciting and innovative as it was for Doordarshan, it was also the first success in the world of animation for the Bajaj family of Mayapuri. As popular as the "Merry Christmas" series was, it also strengthened the Mayapuri Group's unbreakable bond with Doordarshan. After the "Merry Christmas" series ran for a long time on Doordarshan, Aman Bajaj launched another unique children's series, "A for Apple," a playful play based on the English alphabet. It ran for approximately twenty-six episodes and aired continuously on Doordarshan's prime time schedule for nearly two years. Furthermore, Aman Bajaj produced several other serials for Doordarshan on three-year contracts, which became very popular, such as "Jeevan," "Drug Abuse Prevention," "History of Cinema," and more. Aman Bajaj and his team would create and deliver whatever Doordarshan requested based on its programming schedule. Even videos of the Gurudwara's Prakash Utsav sent from Amritsar would be edited and ready in such a timeframe that they would be telecast in London at 4 a.m. (As everyone knows, there's a six-hour time difference between London and India).

Since the Mayapuri Group has had its own in-house studio with all the facilities for filmmaking, video shooting, recording and editing since its inception, work was fast, high-quality, world-class and timely. This is why, thanks to Mayapuri's in-house facilities, many filmmakers, serial producers, and video-making clients from abroad would come for shooting and editing. Between the 1990s and today, 2025, the bond between Mayapuri and Lotpot with Doordarshan has only grown stronger, and there's still potential for more to come.

This article is a shining example of entertainment journalism, demonstrating how magazines like Mayapuri and Lotpot contributed to the foundation of Indian television and how characters like Motu Patlu have captivated people from that bygone.

When television entertainment in India consisted solely of serious programs, content specifically tailored for children was virtually nonexistent. Around 1987, when Doordarshan began airing educational and informative programs, the Mayapuri Group realized that creating something entertaining for children alongside films could transform the face of television. This vision was later realized through Lotpot and its iconic characters, Motu Patlu.

It's worth noting that actually the Mayapuri Group had began with film journalism. In the 1970s, Mayapuri Film Magazine became the country's best-selling magazine. The visionary head of the group, a printing press owner, founder and editor of Mayapuri Magazine, the late A. P. Bajaj, who started the children's magazine "Lotpot" in 1969, a humorous and educational magazine, decided to join television due to his creative thinking and hard work.

I should also mention that in those days, there were many children's magazines in English, but there were hardly any Hindi children's magazines with engaging cartoon characters or educational stories. Lotpot filled this void.

Many characters were created for Lotpot, but the two characters that made the magazine immortal were Motu and Patlu. These two characters brought such life to the cartoon world that they became favorites of children and adults alike. Lotpot's stories, cloaked in light comedy and friendship, contained a moral and educational message, making them interesting for readers of all ages, from grandparents to grandchildren.

With the passage of time, when the Internet and satellite channels arrived in India, Shri A.P. Bajaj understood that the coming generation would spend more time on screens. The lifespan of print magazines would gradually diminish. Even at that time, A.P. Bajaj's visionary vision was always ahead of the curve. He saw his visionary side in his promising grandson, Aman Bajaj, and encouraged him to master new technologies. He provided him with approximately 20 Apple computers so he could train in animation and digital arts. At that time, even talking about animation technology in India was a distant dream, but A.P. Bajaj and his family took this step.

In 2012, that dream became a reality when the Lotpot characters Motu Patlu were adapted into an animated TV show. The Mayapuri Group, in collaboration with My Digital Studios (later known as Cosmos-Maya), created the show. The show aired live on Nickelodeon, and the very first episode became a hit with children. This was perhaps the first time in Indian children's TV history that Hindi comic book characters came to life on screen in 3D animation.

The Motu Patlu show gained popularity not only in India but also among audiences abroad. From young children to teenagers, young people to the elderly, everyone became enamored with their exciting adventures and funny situations. Gradually, Motu Patlu began airing on other platforms as well – they garner millions of views on YouTube and their toys, books, and mobile games were even launched.

Cosmos-Maya later acquired the rights to several other characters from Lotpot magazine, such as the naughty Neetu and the daring Deva, to bring them to animation. Series like "Sheikh Chilli and 'aired on the Discovery Kids channel, attracting a new audience.

Looking back at the journey of Mayapuri and Lotpot from 1987 to the present, it becomes clear that this isn't just a story of print or television, but rather the story of a vision—a vision that combined entertainment and education. By connecting with television audiences, Mayapuri and Lotpot brought the stories of film stars to every home, while Lotpot sowed the seeds of both laughter and learning in the minds of children.

Today, "Motu Patlu" isn't just a TV show, but has become an Indian brand that has given a new direction to the Indian animation industry. This was perhaps the vision that A.P. Bajaj once dreamed of—that Indian children should have their own local heroes. While foreign cartoon networks previously dominated, "Motu Patlu" proved that Indian content could carve its own niche among children.

Aman Bajaj is currently working on the digital expansion of both Cosmos-Maya and Mayapuri. He is creating new digital platforms for youth and children to bring Indian culture and stories to the next generation. In recent years, his group has also launched NFT versions of comics and mobile apps, ushering in a new era of animation and storytelling.

Even today, when India is in the era of streaming platforms and OTT platforms, brands like Lotpot and Motu Patlu continue to maintain their presence on television channels and other platforms. The Mayapuri Group has once again proven that with vision and hard work, every medium can be integrated—be it print, television, or the digital screen.

Lotpot and Mayapuri proved that change in the Indian entertainment industry has always been initiated by those who think ahead of their time. And the roots of that change were laid as early as 1987, when the head of the Mayapuri family Shri A.P. Bajaj made the big decision to embrace television. Today, the tree that grew from that seed is flourihing not only in India but across the world in the form of "Motu Patlu."