Can't tell the story of 'Mowgli' without acknowledging its Indian roots: director Andy Serkis

Actor-director Andy Serkis Thursday said it is impossible to tell the story of "Mowgli", based on Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book", without acknowledging its Indian roots.

The story about a mancub raised by a pack of wolves in the forests of India has fascinated generations of children and has often been recreated in pop culture.

The version by Serkis, known for his films such as "Lord of the Rings" and "Planet of the Apes" series, is a darker retelling of the classic.

"You can't tell the story in our world now without acknowledging that it is born in India and that Rudyard Kipling was from India. He was the child of the British empire and had a particular set of values.

"You have to reinterpret those values and underpin the movie. So it very much deals with notion of belonging, tribe and cultures clashing," the director said at Netflix's See What's Next: Asia event here.

Starring Indian-American child actor Rohan Chand as Mowgli, the film will start streaming on Netflix from December 7. The film will also have exclusive limited theatrical engagements, starting November 29 in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and London.

Serkis said unlike the previous versions of Kipling's book, his take is far "more emotional".

"I always wanted to make an emotional version of this story. We have seen many versions of 'The Jungle Book' but this to me, was really about understanding the notions of being an outsider and of belonging.

"Kipling was a child when he wrote the book. Hindi was his first language and then he was sent to England against his will. So he understood from a personal space. That's really the core of the story is."
"He was the third person and he has actually been in the film called 'Lone Survivor'. I just thought there is something remarkable about him. When I met him on Skype, I told him 'This is all about connections. You are not going to be acting with nobody. You will be acting with the finest kind of talent."