“That’s the Mowgli way. That’s the Baloo way. That’s our way. That’s how we get things done.”

Bombay-born English writer Rudyard Kipling channelled his love of India in 1894’s The Jungle Book, followed by The Second Jungle Book in 1895. Though considered children’s books, the stories — with their lush landscapes and talking animals — sparked interest in young and old alike.

“Kipling’s stories follow Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces’s view of mythic storytelling,” says The Jungle Book director Jon Favreau, the man who helmed the first two Iron Man films and also played the central role in the heartwarming hit Chef. “You have the rise of the hero — a young boy coming of age in the jungle in this environment with all of these archetypal characters. As a filmmaker I find this as very fertile soil.”

Finding just the right tone for this new version of the story was a fundamental priority. Favreau’s adaptation draws its inspiration from the beloved Disney animated classic, while still retaining the gravitas and mythology inherent in Rudyard Kipling’s original stories.

“There was a fun quality to Disney’s classic animated version of The Jungle Book,” says Favreau. 

“I loved the music and I remember having vivid dreams about the characters. The scenes that made a big visual impression on me — that I am carrying over to this version of film — are images of Mowgli going down the river on the belly of Baloo, the python Kaa with its hypnotic eyes, and the majesty of those elephants marching by us as we experienced them in the animated film, but we do mix and match to serve this version of the story.”

“It’s a coming-of-age story about a kid who is figuring out his place in the world,” adds producer Brigham Taylor. “The adventure is real, the stakes are high, but at the same time, the film is warm and humane. It’s hard to find that combination, but Jon brings it all to the table.”

KING LOUIE 
(voiced by Christopher Walken)

King Louie rules over the Bandar-log, a colony of wild and wily monkeys. He desperately wants to behold the secret of Man’s deadly “red flower” — fire. The massive ape is convinced that Mowgli, who’s a man-cub after all, possesses the information he seeks, and King Louie slyly employs his smooth-talking ways in an attempt to coerce Mowgli to give it up.

“Anyone who controls the red flower can control the jungle,” says Favreau. “It’s a magical destructive force.”

Christopher Walken lends his iconic voice to King Louie, who stands 12ft tall. “It was fun to have Chris Walken play King Louie,” says Favreau. “He’s charming and endearing, but there’s this unpredictability to him.”

KAA 
(voiced by Scarlett Johansson)

Kaa sets her sights on Mowgli when she discovers him all alone in the jungle. The massive python uses her seductive voice and hypnotic gaze to entrance the man-cub, and Mowgli finds himself unable to resist her captivating embrace.

Favreau decided to change its gender. “All the roles were male in the 1967 version, so I thought that there was an opportunity with Kaa to mix things up a little bit,” says Favreau, who called on Scarlett Johansson to help bring the seductive snake to life.  “I remember seeing the movie Her, and what an impact Scarlett made by just using her voice,” says the director. “She has such a presence to her voice.”

Says Johansson, “The snake from the animated film is a boy. He’s a friendlier, goofier version of the character. In this film, Kaa seduces and entraps Mowgli with her storytelling... her voice. It was thrilling to reinvent this character.”

The character is designed to be intimidating, yet believable. “Kaa is magnificent,” continues Johansson. “The way that she moves is very alluring, almost coquettish. The audience will see this creature through the innocent eyes of this small boy Mowgli — they’ll become part of his world.”

MOWGLI 
(played by Neel Sethi) 

Mowgli is a human boy who was abandoned in the jungle as an infant. Known in the jungle as the “man-cub”, Mowgli grows up among the animals, some friends, some foes.

“Mowgli is a character who wants to fit in,” says Favreau. “He feels alienated. He’s an outsider. A vulnerable little kid, like the ugly duckling in a pack of wolves. Each year, the wolf cubs grow and mature faster than him and eventually they get to join the wolf council. Although he’s a plucky kid with a lot of confidence, his life isn’t easy.”

The filmmakers cast newcomer Neel Sethi as Mowgli. “Finding the right kid to play Mowgli was imperative,” says Favreau.

“He was one of the last people that I looked at, and right away, I felt that he had the same emotional and physical qualities that Mowgli had in the ’67 animated version. His look was uncanny in how much he evoked what we wanted. He inherently had a good sense of humour.”

BALOO 
(voiced by Bill Murray)

Baloo is a free-spirited bear who meets Mowgli after the man-cub has been banished from the jungle. “Baloo is a huge bear, bigger than life,” says Favreau. “He’s that teacher that you have in high school that encourages you to read the books that maybe you weren’t allowed to read, and opens your eyes to what the world is really all about. He’s a subversive thinker. He is not a guy who exactly fits into jungle society. He plays by his own rules and he encourages Mowgli to do the same.”

Bill Murray was able to preserve those qualities while still bringing his iconic voice to the role. “He’s perfect,” says the director. 

“I just couldn’t say no to playing Baloo,” says Murray. “Jon is a terrific storyteller and I’m such a huge fan of the original stories. Kipling wrote a lot of amazing stuff. I read that book when I was about 22 and I’ve always thought that it was just extraordinary writing.”

BAGHEERA 
(voiced by Ben Kingsley)

Bagheera is a sleek and stunning panther who rescued Mowgli when he was abandoned in the jungle as an infant. As Mowgli’s mentor, Bagheera guides him to faithfully follow the laws of the jungle.

Ben Kingsley brings his noble voice to Bagheera. “As an actor,” says Kingsley, “I have to find my hook into the character. I decided that the role lent itself to the rhythm of the writing if my Bagheera was military — he’s probably a colonel. He is instantly recognisable by the way he talks, how he acts and what his ethical code is.”

“When Bagheera is looking back at the story of Mowgli when he was his tutor, I liked to be seated in the recording studio — reclined, very relaxed. I’m telling a story. But when the character is leading him across the jungle, actively protecting Mowgli, I use a much more physical approach toward the microphone.”

SHERE KHAN 
(voiced by Idris Elba)

Bengal tiger Shere Khan bears the scars of Man, which fuel his intense hatred of humans. Powerful and menacing, the tiger makes no secret of his feelings about man-cub Mowgli and his presence in the jungle. 

Idris Elba was tapped to bring the tiger to life. “Jon and I sculpted what the sound should be,” says Elba. “It was a delicate set of negotiations till we found the right voice.”

“Idris wields tremendous presence in a room, which is evident in his voice,” says Favreau. “He’s got such gravity and brings his steely presence, a deep timbre that echoes in a larger-than-life way.”

“Shere Khan reigns with fear,” says Elba. “He terrorises everyone he encounters because he comes from a place of fear.” 

Elba was shocked when he saw the character come to fruition. “When Jon showed me Shere Khan’s expressions and how he moves, I had to ask, ‘Is that a real tiger?’ The technology is incredible.”

RAKSHA 
(voiced by Lupita Nyong’o)

Raksha, a loving and fiercely protective mother wolf, cares deeply for all of her pups — including Mowgli, whom she adopts as one of her own.  

Lupita Nyong’o brings Raksha to life. “I just love my character,” says Nyong’o. “She is the protector, the eternal mother.

The word Raksha means protection in Hindi. I felt really connected to that, wanting to protect a son that isn’t originally hers, but one she’s taken for her own.”

“Mowgli tries to fit in with the other wolf pups. He has his challenges, but he is very much a part of the pack as far as Raksha is concerned,” continues Nyong’o.

Who is your favourite character from The Jungle Book and why? Tell t2@abp.in