For more than three decades now, Manga character Shin chan — the cheeky five-year-old from Kasukabe with his endless mischief, quick wit and one liners — has made the audience laugh while giving gentle life lessons. In India where he has been a staple on the television for two decades now, his trademark antics – blurting out embarrassing truth, pestering his parents and breaking into random dance numbers and songs – have got him a loyal fan base across generations. But now the little troublemaker is making his way to the big screens, stepping out of our living rooms but with a desi twist.
Shin Chan : The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers in India had its Indian premiere at the Japanese Film Festival during the event ‘Mela! Mela! Anime Japan!!’ on September 14 at PVR Cinema, Pacific Mall, Tagore Garden, ahead of its nationwide release on September 26 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
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Directed by Japanese filmmaker Masakazu Hashimoto and produced by Shin-Ei Animation, TV Asahi, ADK Emotions and Futabasha, the film brings Shin chan and his friends to India – “the nation of dance” – where their meals and greetings will take on a new flavour. From trying local dishes like chapatis to cheerful greetings of namaste, the Kasukabe Guard dives headfirst into Indian Life – until, in true Shin chan fashion, things spiral out of control when Bo chan is transformed after an encounter with a mysterious backpack. The Kasukabe Guard must work together to bring their friend back.
For Hashimoto the decision to set Shin chan’s latest escapade in India was not a random decision. “I’ve always been fascinated by India and I love Indian movies. I love to travel, and when I pick a setting for a film, I want it to be somewhere I both respect and genuinely want to visit,” he told The Indian Express. On his scouting trip to India, he absorbed the local sights, sounds and flavours – many of which are reflected on screen. The tour guide who led the location scouting has also found his way to the big screen as Kasukabe Guard’s local guide.
At the heart of the film is dance but Hashimoto admits he resisted a literal depiction of the classical Indian dance styles. “Indian classical dance is extremely complex and portraying it accurately in animation is very difficult. So the dance moves are based on pop cultural references,” he explained. The team has adapted the locales of India and the dance moves, staying true to Shin Chan’s playful world, while still giving a nod to the Indian tradition.
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Hashimoto’s affection for Indian cinema shines through – his favourites range from RRR, Three Idiots and PK to documentaries such as Writing with Fire. He recounts, “One of the first Indian films that I think I saw was Muthu: The Dancing Maharaja.” Muthu: The film is the Japanese dubbed version of Rajinikanth starrer 1995 film Muthu.
Since it is Shin chan, the core of the movie is comedy. But Hashimoto says that Shin chan stories carry a deeper meaning and sneak in gentler life lessons. “It’s about showing that the world is fun and joyful, and that children can live freely, true to themselves,” he said. The goal is simple: meaning and lessons wrapped in giggles and laughter.
Having helmed previous Shin chan films for a few years now, Hashimoto says that each new project is unique in its own way. “We never reuse the exact same artistic style,” he explained. For this film, the art director and the writing team joined him for location scouting in India, thus getting a sense of the atmosphere firsthand. And while Shin Chan remains firmly Japanese at its core, Hashimoto was not really worried about mixing in Indian elements. “No matter where he goes, Shin chan is still Shin chan,” he said.
