2023-08-04 17:59:27
Perhaps it is the exhausting journey to Kanha National Park, one of the largest reserves in the state of Madhya Pradesh, located in the heart of India, that clouds our view. But Mowgli seems not to have grown. Against all likelihood, he is just a little stronger, a little darker than in the films by which he gained his notoriety. He really does not look 159 years old. Highlander Syndrome, that very rare process of slowed aging and growth, seems to have affected him. “No, no, it’s just that the jungle conceals secrets not yet exploited by man he told me in a firm tone, but with his disarming smirk.
He is today one of the most eminent ethologists specializing in wolves. “I found my way in the mid-1970s, discovering the work of Jane Goodall, who lived among chimpanzees in Tanzania. I told myself that I too could be a ferryman between men and wolves. Attempt bridges rather than having to choose a single bank. »
He invites me into his den, a large hollow tree that he has ingeniously laid out at the foot of the rock of his pack, definitely joined after the elimination of Shere Khan, the Bengal tiger who terrorized her. “The duel won against him gave me a certain aura and confidence from the other inhabitants of the jungle. I used it not to establish any power, but to open up to others, to their customs. »
This fight also allowed him to settle his question of identity. He now assumes his dual culture. “I accepted my human nature, but also my desire to remain among those who raised me. However, I never took myself for the leader of the pack, even if I am the oldest of the clan. And very widely! » We observe a large layer, capable of accommodating two people, but we do not dare to ask questions that are too intimate. “On a daily basis, I always try to encourage listening and dialogue, necessary to appease the violence, present here as elsewhere. The expression “the law of the jungle” does not exist for nothing! My compatriot Gandhi, to whom I was very close, taught me a lot about this. »
“We are alive among the living and not in front of nature”
Eternal child star, Mowgli is well aware of his extraordinary destiny. He lent himself to the staging of his story very early on. “Rudyard Kipling was the first to collect my memories. I briefly returned to the men. He was stationed in Lahore. We were both 22 years old, it creates links. I think he recognized himself in me a little, like a brother. » His opinion on these first stories? “It was brilliant, filled with strong and inspiring symbols! But because of him, I experienced the pangs of media coverage very early on, not always desired or pleasant. »
This is why he decided, as soon as the cinema appeared, to control his image, always playing his own role. “It was important yesterday, it is even more so today with the proliferation of infox. » He has a memorable memory of the Walt Disney cartoon released in 1967. “Disney was a genius. I didn’t know him much, because he unfortunately died during production. Thanks to him and his teams, my story opened millions of children to ecological awareness. »
Still, the subject, between the notes of jazz, directly opposed wild nature to a destructive civilization, in the line of Kipling. “It was good in their time, but I think there are now other ways. The one I’m trying to dig into has been described by an author from your region, also a specialist in wolves, Baptiste Morizot. I found his Rekindle the embers of life (1), which he was kind enough to send me, inspiring and constructive. Yes, we are alive among the living and not in front of nature. I too am convinced that another link is possible. »
“A beautiful formula that echoes the Bible”
Mowgli rarely gives press interviews. “My research is over a long period of time, it needs calm, silence. » Why, then, did you agree to receive The cross ? “Because we share together the importance of the spiritual dimension in these fights. We have a beautiful formula in my house that echoes the Bible and links this need for life and inner strength to concern for the common good: “Here is the law of the jungle: as old as the sky, as sincere. The wolf who respects her becomes prosperous. But the wolf who breaks it becomes dust, like the creeper on the tree it embraces, the law everywhere, comes and goes. For the strength of the pack is in the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is in the pack.” »
He particularly likes the latest adaptation from Disney studios, released in 2016. In this film by Jon Favreau, he played in live action, accompanied by stunningly realistic computer graphics. “This technique made it possible not to touch animals and natural environments. Ever since I accidentally set fire to the jungle while chasing Shere Khan, I’ve had a deep-rooted awareness of the impact we humans can have. The motto of my colleague Spider-Man, a member like me of the Disney stable since the takeover of Marvel in 2009, is very apt: “With great power comes great responsibility.” He often comes to visit me and takes the opportunity to observe with me the exceptional specimens of spiders that we have.ici », rigole Mowgli.
Unfortunately, this biodiversity is now threatened because of increasingly frequent fires, due to the effects of global warming or malicious acts. “It seems that my lesson does not serve many people…” Mowgli pauses and seems to be pulling out of our interview. His gaze falls on the three young wolves playing between the vines. «Each dry season is longer and more difficult. Will we be able to change things or is it already too late? Will men be wise or mad? »
Discreet about his private life
How are his relations with his congeners? “Excellent. Thanks to new technologies, I can discuss with all the scientists on the planet without leaving my environment. I try to live as simply as possible, and when I organize the coming of colleagues here, I make sure that there are as few consequences as possible. I invented an eco-construction system based on lianas allowing to build spaces that are both flexible and well ventilated. It is ideal for blending into the landscape. »
Very discreet about his private life, he admits to us that he knows nothing more about his biological father. He did not want to test his DNA, a solution now possible to, perhaps, find his trail. “Recently, I happened to watch an alternate ending to the 1967 animated film found in the Disney studio archives, in which an Indian couple claimed to be my parents. No one had ever spoken to me about that. Alas, all that is too far, history did not retain them and they are certainly dead now. I prefer to look to the future. There are so many things to do to preserve ecosystems that our personal stories must take a back seat. »
But what about the “real” end of the cartoon, where he returned to the men’s village, seduced by a young girl his age? A big smile lights up his face. Behind him, a young wolf cub falls on his smartphone. The extremely hard shell, designed for extreme conditions, prevents it from breaking but the shock triggers its music application. The first notes ofIt takes little to be happy resonate. «You know, even in the jungle, you can have your secret garden. »
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At the origins of the character
This portrait of Mowgli was made from various sources (in addition to a bit of imagination):
Feature films from Disney studios. The two cartoonsThe jungle Book (1967), directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, and The Jungle Book 2 (2003), by Steve Trenbirth; the 2016 live action and CG film directed by Jon Favreau. All available on Blu-ray, DVD and on Disney+.
The alternative ending of the cartoon, in storyboard form, available on youtu.be/cwfkT-gLySE.
The Walt Disney Film Archive. Animated films 1921-1968de Daniel Kothenschulte, Taschen, 512 p., 25 €.
Once upon a time Walt Disney. At the origins of the art of the Disney studios, catalog of the 2006 exhibition at the Grand Palais, under the direction of Bruno Girveau, Éditions de la RMN, 356 p. (on occasion).
Sur Rudyard Kipling : Kipling’s Wedding, by François Rivière, Robert Laffont, 252 p. (on occasion).
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