Hollywood's 'The Jungle Book' crosses Rs.100-crore mark in India

Mumbai: Hollywood filmmaker Jon Favreau's 3D live-animation adventure fantasy film “The Jungle Book”, which brings a story straight from the enchanting forest of India and presents a modern take on Rudyard Kipling's timeless classic, originally published in 1894, has entered the coveted Rs.100 crore club in India in just 10 days since its release. The film, which made its way onto the screens in India on April 8, a week ahead of its release in the US, has collected Rs.101.82 crore at the Indian box office so far. “We are thrilled with the exceptional response to 'The Jungle Book' in India! It is a timeless tale and we are happy that it continues to inspire, awe and mesmerise generation after generation," Amrita Pandey, vice president - studios, Disney India, told IANS. “The Hindi, Tamil and Telugu versions have been so appreciated and that is very special for us. 'The Jungle Book' is a legacy and we are humbled that families across India have contributed to taking this legacy forward and embracing Mowgli's latest adventure with such affection,” Pandey added. Released in India in four languages (English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu), “The Jungle Book” stars Indian-American actor Neel Sethi as Mowgli. Despite being in competition with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's highly anticipated film “Fan”, “The Jungle Book” managed to maintain its golden run at the box office in its second week too and collected Rs.27.2 crore in its second weekend. Along with Neel, “The Jungle Book” is supported by Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson and Christopher Walken. Bollywood stars Irrfan Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Nana Patekar, Shefali Shah and Om Puri have lent their voices for the Hindi version of “The Jungle Book”. It's not the first time that a Hollywood film has collected over Rs.100 crore in India upon its release. Previously, films like James Cameron's “Avatar” and actor Vin Diesel-starrer “Furious 7” have grossed the Rs.100 crore during their respective runs at the Indian box office.