Return of the Jungle
Feature Animation 105 mins – Hindi
Humor, Adventure, Drama
Directed by Vaibhav Kumaresh
The film was selected as one of the 10 recommended films by the NFDC Film Bazaar 2023 and premiered on Nov 21 at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.
Return of the Jungle (ROTJ) celebrates the spirit of friendship, diversity and bonding across generations. We see success, failure, hope, desperation and bravery in the face of adversity, and all this through the warmth and innocence of childhood. We experience the simplicity and wisdom of the Jungle that inspires our young heroes to face the challenges that lie before them.
Return of the Jungle is contemporary Indian animation – like never seen before! An inspiring family entertainer – it is hugely nostalgic, relatable & local.
About the Film
9-year-old Mihir and his friends are faced with the daunting task of outwitting the biggest, meanest bully in school –Rahul Malhotra. To help them ride through this impossible journey, they have the coolest grandpa in town –Thatha– and his fantastic tales of inspiration from the ancient Jungles of India! Together, they must build a ruthless Dinosaur, fight a nerve-racking game of cricket, and travel all the way to Rajasthan, to rediscover the power of friendship, compassion, and determination.
This film is the 1st of 3 films planned by the Studio, the other 2 are in various stages of writing at present.
About the team
A core team of ~20 artists have invested their energies to create this film. The film has been 100% self-financed by Vaibhav Studios, Mumbai, and truly a labor of love. Each artist in the team wears several hats and most all of them are formally trained in the creative arts.
About the Director
Growing up, Vaibhav had an enviable opportunity to soak in the amazing cultures and beautiful stories of India. An army family, they moved across India and Vaibhav experienced the diverse folklore, culture traditions and heritage of the local people. However, he found that these amazing stories are not being shared with our audiences anymore. As an accomplished animation film maker, he strongly felt the desire to tell these stories in a contemporary yet endearing way, that would primarily be relatable, engaging and entertaining to our own people. A firm believer in India First, ROTJ is his effort to give back our stories to our audience, through the beautiful medium of animation.
Glimpses of the premiere
Return Of The Jungle – Premier Highlights
Premier at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Goa, 2023