Wednesday, April 20, 2016

The Jungle Book


A little girl asked Ajoba: 'Uncle, you liked Bhaloo?' 'Yes, yes,' nodded Aji and Ajoba. A thin crowd exited Maxus Borivili after The Jungle Book with popcorn and coke. There was a lilt about aged Aji and Ajoba. They do not much know the imperial politics of Rudyard Kipling. They enjoy a story simply said; a story written by Rudyard Kipling for his daughter Josephine Kipling in May 1894; Josephine died at six. Oooos and aahs as the 3-D glasses brought Mogli and the Seeonnee forests near to their souls, nay grazed their souls. For lazy Ajoba, it is easy Bhaloo, moseys the forest, slurping honey and fun, taking Mogli for back rides in rivers. Aji and Ajoba do not want more out of a story. The Jungle Book and Swami and Friends of R.K. Narayan -- Aji, Ajoba and many have seen on Doordarshan. They will be around till there are girls and boys in the world. Become children, turn story tellers, when the mood darkens hum their signature songs...Son Ganesh saw it first and he had to see it as The Jungle Book is his childhood. He went to Wadala for a special experience. Seen the 1990 version, the Doordarshan take as a family on a colour TV; Aji and Ajoba are familiar with the Walt Disney 1967 version; and today the Walt Diseny retake with technology. Thankfully the story remains in the telling. When Shere Khan roars into their faces, Aji and Ajoba cowered; when Mogli and Bhaloo take to the waters, they laughed; when the bandarlok snatch away Mogli, they suffer an infraction. In slopy chairs, they watched Mogli running into them and the deep forests reminded Ajoba of Pench and Kanha Tiger reserves with Kishor Rithe and Nishibhau spotting Shere Khans. Maybe, in another 20 years, Walt Disney will come with a version of The Jungle Book allowing the public to roam the forests with Mogli and Bagheera; the public will participate; some new tech. Some may not have read The Jungle Book; but none at least in Mumbai could have missed on Gulzar's ever, ever lines: Jungle, jungle pata chala hai; cheddi pahan ke phool khila hai; the current version of The Jungle Book has English songs and poems, dubbed 'propaganda' by Bhaloo; but nothing, simply nothing, nothing can match Gulzar; perhaps, Walt Disney should have stitched it into their cinematic versions of The Jungle Book; The Bare Necessities is neither poetry nor song. Yes, Bhaloo, it is 'propaganda'. Aji and Ajoba slipped into sloping, comfy chairs and failed to struggle out to stand for the National Anthem; luckily were not beaten up. 70-year old Ajoba as an 8-year old saw the first film in Kottarakara on a two annas bench ticket; some MGR film; jumped the bench when MGR sworded M.N. Nambiar; and today, Aji and Ajoba felt unbalooned when the film ended with Bagheera, Bhaloo and Mogli at one place. In 1894, the forests and its citizens loved humans for Kipling to imagine and ink pen The Jungle Book; today humans have no forests and its variety shows; a Jungle Book will not be written; there is no Jungle. There will always be jungle, jungle pata chala hai ..... Mogli, Akela, Shere Khan, Bagheera, Bhaloo, Ka..... Tks. Walt Disney.

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