‘Mowgli’ cast head to India
Andy Serkis, Christian Bale, Frieda Pito and Rohan Chand were in Mumbai for the premiere
Kareena Kapoor Khan. Academy Award-winning actor Christian Bale was in Mumbai with actordirector Andy Serkis for the premiere of their much-awaited film Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.
Actress Frieda Pinto and Indian-American child actor Rohan Chand were also in the city to promote the movie, which explores the darker side of author Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book.
Mowgli, to be released on Netflix on December 7, is based on the 19th century tale about a boy who grew up in the jungles of India with animals. Its India connection makes Christian Bale and his wife Sibi Blazic. the country “perfect” for the premiere, which was held on Sunday at the Yash Raj Films studio, Serkis said.
Serkis, who has voiced the free-spirited bear named Baloo in the upcoming film, took to Instagram to share some updates.
“Junket in Mumbai,” he wrote alongside a picture in which he is posing in front of the film’s poster.
Four days ago, he shared a still from the movie, and wrote: “I’m happy beyond my wildest dreams that Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle will be having its world premiere in Mumbai on November 25. For India to host the first ever major Hollywood movie premiere here, the birthplace of Kipling’s masterpiece, is nothing less than perfect.”
Bale has voiced a character in the movie alongside Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch Elli Avram . and Naomie Harris.
The actor, who last visited India in 2011 to promote The Dark Knight Rises, parts of which were shot in Rajasthan, said this time he came with his family.
“We travelled through Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and just arrived here in Mumbai. We have seen tinytiny parts of this incredible country which has got a world within itself. But it was so important for Mowgli to come here to India,” Bale said.
In Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, Bale has voiced the protectivebut-friendly panther Bagheera.
“I met Andy first when I was 19 years old... He’s a phenomenal actor and he has mastered this motion capture thing .... He guided me on that and eventually it comes down to acting,” he said. “With performance capture you get to act directly.” Chand in ‘Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle’.
He was also full of praise for Rohan Chand, who plays Mowgli in the film.
“Rohan has got tonnes of different interests. He is more intelligent than I will ever be in my lifetime,” Bale said.
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle will be dubbed in Hindi by actors Kareena Kapoor Khan, Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Jackie Shroff and Abhishek Bachchan.