World Elephant Day: Movies where the cute jumbos are important
Elephants are extremely important for maintaining nature's balance, and to raise awareness about them, we have the World Elephant Day. This year's theme is to recognize their role in our ecosystem. In place since 2012, the day also raises a toast to the cute jumbos. Today, to honor the largest animal on land, we celebrate those animal movies where the focus is on them.
A must watch: Vidyut Jammwal's 'Junglee' fits the occasion perfectly
Junglee, a 2019 movie, narrates the story about Raj, a veterinarian, (Vidyut Jammwal), going on a quest to protect an elephant named Bhola, who lives in his father's reserve. Sadly, the tusker gets killed by poachers, which pushes Raj all the more toward protecting his other childhood elephant playmate named Didi. How the two bring justice to Bhola forms the crux of this film.
'Haathi Mere Saathi': When an elephant masked a superstar
Having stars like Rajesh Khanna and Tanuja, Haathi Mere Saathi was the highest grosser at the box office in 1971. The movie showed a beautiful bond between Raju (Khanna) and his elephants, especially the one whose name is Ramu. This beloved character masked even a superstar like Khanna with his presence, literally and metaphorically. Ramu's tragic death in the end was tear-jerking.
'Dumbo' showed how people should always believe in themselves
In 2019, Disney introduced the audience to the most adorable baby elephant, Jumbo Jr. He was nicknamed Dumbo because everyone thought he is dumb, but this beautiful creature proved them wrong in the end and became the hero. Famous for his big ears, Dumbo learned to fly, which grabbed the attention of some bad people. The titular character inspired many to believe in themselves.
'Annai Oru Aalayam': How a baby elephant changes Rajinikanth
Annai Oru Aalayam, a 1979 release, stars Rajinikanth, who plays someone who traps wild animals and sells them to zoos and circuses. Once he imprisons a baby elephant, who later plays a pivotal role in his life that changes Rajinikanth's way of thinking. In one of the scenes, he rescues it from a moving train. Eventually, he unites the baby with the mother elephant.
An elephant plays titular role in 'Ram Lakshman'
Another R Thyagarajan-directorial like the aforementioned Tamil film, Ram Lakshman released in 1981. It's about two friends: Kamal Haasan and an elephant, and the film's title is a combination of both their names. The jumbo was given a full-fledged role, in which he also gets accused of a man's murder, alongside Ram! How they prove their innocence is what Ram Lakshman is all about.
