Preschool can be a rollercoaster ride of learning and growth—even more so when you’re a young Hindu deity discovering your supernatural powers. Such is the premise of Ghee Happy, a 3D-animated preschool series by Pixar veteran and CalArts alum Sanjay Patel (Film/Video 96).
Released on the Ghee Happy Studios YouTube channel, Patel’s new series reimagines Hindu gods and goddesses as small children in Ghee Happy, a daycare for the divine helmed by a monk named Guru. Per a recent article by Animation Magazine:
Each episode follows Kali, Saraswati, Krishna, and Ganesha as they encounter and learn about the rest of the Hindu pantheon. Together they celebrate traditions like kite fighting and rakhi, as well as learning the real meaning of Diwali.
The episodes rolled out from Nov. 6 through Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights that took place this year on Nov. 12. The colorful show includes a couple of CalArtians among the crew, including Sang Yup Lee (Film/Video BFA 14), who is credited as a director of several episodes, and Institute Trustee Melissa Cobb, who served as an executive producer.
The animated series is not Patel’s only recent project—last month, three new books by Patel were published by Chronicle books, also featuring the characters from Ghee Happy:
- Ganesha’s Great Race, a follow-up picture book of his 2015 title Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth co-written with Emily Haynes
- Ghee Happy Goddesses: A Little Board Book of Hindu Deities
- Ghee Happy Gods: A Little Board Book of Hindu Deities
Patel is an Academy Award- and Annie Award-nominated animator, illustrator, and author whose credits include beloved Disney/Pixar films like Monsters University (2013), Ratatouille (2007), The Incredibles (2004), Finding Nemo (2003), and Toy Story 2 (1999). In 2016, Patel was nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 88th Academy Awards for his original Pixar short film “Sanjay’s Super Team.”
Watch the trailer for Ghee Happy above.
