SpongeBob Squarepants is set to go desi with the world’s shortest-ever Bollywood movie – it lasts just two minutes, or less than 1% of a typical Ashutosh Gowariker movie – made entirely the producers assure us in the Bikini Bottom film studios or B-Bollywood for short (or is that shorts?) “Bollywood Bob is the genuine global culmination of Year of the Sponge,” says Nickelodean’s VP Peter Drake, “It is the most spectacular expression of a regional cultures’ celebration and love of SpongeBob, and furthers his credibility as a lifestyle icon.”
Made by the UK wing of the company, in association with Nickelodeon India, the movie will be launched in the UK on November 14th and is then set to go global to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the show. The music is the SpongeBob theme tune rearranged in Bollywood style by Akbar Sami and Firoze Patel. The choreography of this live action movie has been produced by Slumdog Millionaire’s Longinus Fernandes.
The movie tells the story of a young boy, Rohan, who bravely enters a magnificent palace to present the king with the gift of a golden sponge – and it tells of the king’s reaction to this unexpected tribute. “This unique work pushes the boundaries and challenges the norm, extending SpongeBob appeal way beyond the core Nickelodeon audience,” explains a source, “He is one of the few animation characters that can do this so effectively.”
