MUMBAI: Malayalam channel Asianet has launched its first-ever animation show, based on the 13th century Arab folklore character Mulla Naseeruddin. The tele-strip will air three times a week (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday).

Channel officials say that the three-minute capsule show set in the Arab background is targeted at the Gulf viewers. The show will be aired at 3 pm in India (1:30 pm UAE) with a repeat telecast at 11:30 pm (10 pm UAE).

According to Asianet chief producer M R Rajan, a group of young expats living in Dubai is behind the show. The show titled Mulla Kathakal (Mulla stories) is produced by Ishaq Madayi for Crayon Visual Media, which has offices in Kerala and UAE.

The animation is being handled by the Kochi-based Centre for Animation Technology (CAT).

It can be said that the Malayalam TV market, known for the amount of humour-based content it churns out, is slowly hugging the animation genre. Earlier Asianet had telecast the Malayalam version of the animation show The Adventures of Tenali Raman.

Asianet's competitor Kairali TV recenlty launched a five-minute animation strip titled Kunjammaan (Uncle Kunj). Kairali had debuted in the animation realm some time back with the animation series Bobanum Moliyum (Boban & Moly).