Owing to it’s Indian origin, The Jungle Book is releasing in both English and Hindi, with a high profile cast in both versions.
Bollywood-turned-Hollywood actor Priyanka Chopra is behind the voice of Kaa, the venomous snake that deceives Mowgli. The mysterious snake is voiced with sultry grace in the original English version by Scarlett Johansson.
“The Jungle Book has had such a huge impact on my life. It was one of my favourite movies. I remember there was a TV show called Mowgli, in Hindi,” says the Quantico star.
“There are so many layers to Kaa and that was what was fun for me to bring in. It’s just not a sexy, sultry voice. It’s what the voice evokes. It’s like the fly trap, the praying mantis. She brings you in, (she is) comforting, (she) feels like home,” explains Priyanka.
“I feel like I’m a part of history, being a part of Jungle Book and that’s why I wanted to do it. It’s such an iconic film and it’s such an iconic part. Jungle Book is incomplete without these characters and I get to be a part of that and I get to be a part of history.”
The Jungle Book’s Hindi version also stars Om Puri, Irrfan Khan and Nana Patekar. The English version features the vocal talents of Bill Murray, Christopher Walken, Idris Elba and Ben Kingsley. Neel Sethi plays the central character Mowgli.
Watch Priyanka record Kaa’s lines for the animated film, while revealing how the film has impacted her life.
Directed by Jon Favreau, written by Justin Marks, and produced by Walt Disney Pictures, the English version of the film is scheduled to release in the US on April 15, 2016, after releasing a week earlier in India on April 8th.
