Animals pick on each other, pull pranks, and when they cross the line, there is sage advice and lessons to be learned that kick into play.
Pranks and calling each other “stupid” -these are things that while many may say, “boo hiss” and that shouldn’t be in a film or tv show, I say embrace them as this is reality and not being done or said in a harmful manner – just like in DELHI SAFARI.
Sounding like kids on a playground, timing is perfect and verbiage is so spot on with the conversation and vernacular of kids today. And what story and dialogue!!Ģ1st century colloquialisms and pop culture reference infuse the dialogue with an organic free-flowing casual sensibility that will engage kids and adults alike. With DELHI SAFARI, we know the background is there, the screen is filled with color, but movement and dialogue is in the foreground, thus allowing one to actually pay attention to the story and dialogue. A fallacy that we so often see with animated films, and yes, even with Disney/Pixar, is that there is often so much happening that you don’t know where to turn your eye. When it comes to the animation and CGI textures, with DELHI SAFARI, backgrounds – while colorful and bright – are matte and immobile, with animation focusing on the characters and action in the foreground. It has a very free-flowing organic naturalism to it and gives the film just that little something extra.
Notable is that the use of 3D is never “gimmicky”. Clean, crisp, Crayola 64 animation sets the tone with bright – but not super saturated – color, immersing us in the animal world. Written by Suresh Nair and Girish Dhamija together with writer/director and Mumbai native and 3D champion, Nikhil Advani, DELHI SAFARI marks the first Indian animated 3D film. But what will happen when they finally reach Delhi? Will they gain an audience with Parliament? Will the humans hear their cries? Facing robbers, trains, dancing flamingos, hungry hyenas and even death, nothing will stop Yuvi and his friends. Kidnap Alex and bring him along anyway.Īnd so our little group sets out on their own DELHI SAFARI as they make the 700+ mile trek north from Mumbai, getting more than their share of adventures (and a beautiful travelogue of India) along the way. Alex hates animals and there’s no way he’ll go willing with Yuvi, Bagga and Bajrangi. His cage is made of gold and he’s treated like a king – he has snacks and loves to watch tv and movies and, thanks to all his hours of tv watching he has learned to conversationally speak with the humans. Only problem is the animals can’t talk “human.” Ah…but there is one jungle friend who can – Alex the Parrot. Bajrangi the Monkey is ready to go to war against the humans while Bagga the Bear thinks talk and compromise in a more humane manner is the way to go if they only get to Parliament in Delhi and plead their case. But Yuvi will not be silenced and his jungle friends quickly hop on the bandwagon. Like any mother, Begum wants none of that and is willing to quietly move elsewhere and live in sorrowful peace. With the animals in an uproar, they chant back “Live Among Nature”, but their cries fall on deaf ears as the only word the developers understand is “money.” A defiant and angry little cub, Yuvi wants to fight back – fight for the jungle and to avenge his father’s death. But that excitement quickly comes to and end when Sultan is brutally murdered by land developers plowing down the jungle in the animals’ Mumbai home. Anxious to be “just like Dad”, Yuvi is beyond excited when Sultan agrees to start teaching him about being a ruler. Filled with the same energy of young children and cubs the world over, Yuvi is an adorable handful and of course, acts like he’s 2 going on 20. With wisdom and kindness, Sultan is loved by all, especially by his wife Begum and their young cub, Yuvi. Talk about enjoyable!! Filled with family, friendship and fun, DELHI SAFARI is an adventure for children and adults of all ages!! A real delight! Animals beyond cute and, in some cases, impishly bad an environmental message, Bollywood production numbers, superb 3D animation and characters and recognizable star-power voices (in the English version) all make DELHI SAFARI a perfect family film for the holidays and beyond. Bollywood’s gone Hollywood, 3D animation style, that is, with DELHI SAFARI.