Tony Jaa certainly deserves credit for popularising the concept of the righteous martial arts master battling against elephant poachers with 2005’s “Tom Yum Goong” (aka “The Warrior King” in the UK)”. However, he’s set to be joined in the endeavor by Bollywood’s reigning ‘King of Kalari’, Vidyut Jammwal, in next year’s “Junglee”, as you can see in the film’s newly released video below!
Aside from Jammwal’s action hero charisma, established in spades with 2013’s “Commando: A One Man Army” and last year’s sequel, “Commando 2: The Black Money Trail”, “Junglee” will also mark the Bollywood debut of American director Chuck Russell. Honing his pedigree in the horror genre with “Nightmare on Elmstreet 3” and 1988’s “The Blob”, Russell is no stranger to action filmmaking, either. After helming one-third of Jim Carrey‘s 1994 breakout with “The Mask”, Russell would later team with Arnold Schwarzenegger at the peak of his 90’s heyday with 1996’s “Eraser”. Russell would later go on to direct what was essentially the next Arnold in the form of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, in 2002’s “The Scorpion King”.
While the new teaser doesn’t reveal too much of the plot or character, it gives just enough of a peek for you to get an idea of what’s in store. A life-long exponent of India’s most renown martial art, Kalaripayattu, Jammwal teases viewers with his mastery of the art through some fleetingly glimpsed forms training and fighting action at the end of the teaser. Given the deep significance of elephants in India (particularly the iconic, elephant-headed god ‘Ganesh’ in Hinduism) and the Elephant-based postures found in Kalaripayattu, this video brings about plenty for fans to speculate over as the film nears release.
“Junglee” is set to be released in India on April 5, 2019. Stay tuned for more info on the film’s release in the West as it arrives! Excited? What do you anticipate seeing here; we’ve seen the traditional Shaolin animal forms, now turn of the Elephant? What are some of your favourite Bollywood martial arts films? Let us know in the comments below; Like, share and join in the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter & Instagram. (Keep your wits about you, and stomp on to explore a veritable Jungle of FU just for you!)
