The multi-talented Gulzar along with filmmaker and music composer Vishal Bhardwaj came together yet again to update their theme song, 'Jungle jungle pata chala hai', from the animated television series, The Jungle Book, which ran on Doordarshan National from 1993 to 1994. The series was a dubbed version of a popular Japanese anime, Jungle Book Shonen Mowgli, which aired in Japan from 1989 to 1990.
The new song features the voices of some very talented youngsters, namely Jia Wadkar, Yuvika Chaudhury, Abhirup Dass, Vatsala Mishra, Shaksham Karia, Rashi Salil Harmalkar, Avishkar Yogesh Khot and Oushnik Majumdar. The duo of Gulzar and Bhardwaj are right on target for renewing the nostalgia factor for many 90s kids for whom the show and its red underwear-wearing lead, Mowgli, was an essential part of their Sunday morning routine.
Walt Disney Studios is re-introducing the Rudyard Kipling tale for a whole new generation with its remake directed by Jon Favreau and starring young Indian-American newcomer Neel Sethi as Mowgli. The Hindi version of The Jungle Book features an all-star cast of Indian talent with Om Puri as the panther Bagheera, Irrfan Khan as the bear Baloo, Priyanka Chopra as the python Kaa, Shefali Shah as the wolf Raksha, and Nana Patekar as the tiger Shere Khan. Patekar is actually reprising his role from the television series, he voiced the majestic Shere Khan back in the 1990s as well. Rounding up the voice cast are Bugs Bhargava as the ape King Louie and Rajesh Khattar as the wolf Akela.