| Jungle Boy | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Allan Goldstein |
| Produced by | Ashok Amritraj and Damian Lee |
| Written by | John Lawson and Damian Lee (based on characters created by Ashok Amritraj and Damian Lee) |
| Starring | David Fox Asif Mohammed Seth Jeremy Roberts Lea Moreno Chippy Gangjee Ratan Thakore Grant |
| Music by | David and Eric Wurst |
| Distributed by | Moonstone Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | 1998 |
| Running time | 88 minutes |
| Language | English |
Jungle Boy (1998) is a family adventure film produced by Damian Lee, who co-wrote the film with John Lawson, and directed by Allan Goldstein.
Contents |
During a celebration of the jungle spirit Dava, in what is supposedly India even though the area is still ruled by a king, a boy named Suresh disappears into the forest. His mother wants to search for him but is told it is too dangerous. Suresh is rescued from Sabre the leopard by the elephant Bono and the monkey Mantoo, and he is given the ability to communicate with the animals. He is named "Manling" and raised by the forest creatures.
As an adult, Manling (now called Krishna) must battle Sabre, but when he defeats Sabre in a manner that violates the rules, he is told to go out on his own. Geller and his pretty niece Anna find him and take him in, teaching him English and how to be human. He learns fast because he knew human ways at one time.
Geller is looking for a valuable statue found in the forbidden forest, but so is Rajah Singh, who claims the treasure belongs to his family and hires John Hook to find it. Hook will use any means necessary, even killing, to make sure he gets not only the treasure, but also his share of the money from finding it.
Anna and Krishna become romantically involved. But Hook threatens anyone who gets in his way, and eventually Anna is captured.
To rescue Anna, Geller and Hook must present the Rajah with the statue. But Rajah finds out that what he wanted may not be the best thing for him.
Richard Scheib[3] describes this film as "a distinctly B-budget effort" and " a blatant copy of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book stories".[1]