Anil Sharma's ambitious The Hero has competition from an unlikely quarter.

3-dimensional cinema, which had been hitherto cast away as uneconomical, makes a spectacular comeback on April 11, the day Sharma's film hits the big screen.

Chhota Jadugar is directed by Jose Punnoose, who made India's first 3-D film, Chhota Chetan, in 1984. Jadugar, like its predecessor, targets children and will release in four languages -- Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.

Hasn't the West discarded the 3-D technique of cinema viewing as obsolete and cumbersome?

Says Shravan Shroff of Shringar Films, which is releasing Chhota Jadugar, "I wouldn't say the 3-D technique is obsolete. It has just been relegated to the backburner. Also, 3-D is not completely out. At IMAX theatres the world over, 3-D films are still shown. And they are immensely successful. At Shringar Films, we feel a whole new generation of kids are waiting to discover the thrill of watching the flickering images on screen come alive in front of their eyes."

"The 3-D wave in the 1980s died down quickly," continues Shroff. "That is because the industry overdid the technique. All 3-D films that were released after Chhota Chetan were crappy. If you remember, when Chhota Chetan was re-released 10 years later, it was again a big success. You cannot sacrifice the basic story just because you have an innovative technique to offer the audience. 3-D can only enhance a visually interesting story. That is the case with Chhota Jadugar."

Shringar Films is now familiarising the summer time audience of kids with the theme of Chhota Jadugar and the concept of 3-D. Since it is the story of a magician (played by legendary singer S P Balasubramaniam) and his grandson (played by Suraj Balajee, who was last seen on the Hindi screen in Santosh Sivan's Asoka), magicians have been stationed outside schools in major cities. "We have really worked hard to make 3-D interesting for kids this summer. Two consumer brands are tying in with us and pumping in Rs 1 crore (Rs 10 million)," says Shroff.

Thirty-three prints of Chhota Jadugar are being released across India in 15 cities. Says Shroff, "These theatres will be provided 12 sets of 3-D spectacles. Every member of the audience will have fully sterilised spectacles for each show."