Name: Return of the Jungle
Director: Vaibhav Kumaresh
Genre: Animation
Released: 2026-05-29
Cast: Sourav Chakraborty, Saurav Chakraborty, Pichai Rangaswamy, Jhanvi Patro and Sagarika Chandrakanth, Tanya Sinha

Synopsis

Return of the Jungle

Set in contemporary India, Return of the Jungle (ROTJ) follows a group of junior school classmates. For Mihir, Rohan, Sweety, Ali, and their friends, the simple challenges of everyday school life often seem like huge problems. Coming to their rescue is their close friend Thatha, a lovable grandfather figure who encourages them through his inspiring stories from the jungles of ancient India. His stories motivate the children to face their struggles and always give their best. The series primarily focuses on 9-year-old Mihir and his friends as they attempt to outwit Rahul Malhotra, the biggest bully in their school. To help them through this difficult journey, Thatha shares imaginative tales that inspire courage, determination, friendship, and compassion. Along the way, the children build a dinosaur model, take part in an intense game of cricket, and travel to Rajasthan, rediscovering the value of friendship and courage.

Director: Vaibhav Kumaresh
Release: 29 May 2026
Language: Hindi

Cast & crew

Sourav Chakraborty Cast SA Saurav Chakraborty Shikari PI Pichai Rangaswamy Thatha JH Jhanvi Patro and Sagarika Chandrakanth Sweety TA Tanya Sinha Harpreet JA Jaden Mascarenhas and Izaan Mirza Mihir VA Vaibhav Thakkar Dhondoo AD Advait Soman Cast DE Devansh Doshi Rahul Malhotra MA Manish Bhawan Sharma Sir VA Vaibhav Kumaresh Director, Writer, Producer PR Prosenjit Ganguly Writer SU Suranjana Kumaresh Producer RO Roto Shah Composer NA Narayan Parasuram Composer AD Advait Nemlekar Composer

Reviews

Indian-media reviews, grouped by reception.

Review snapshot

Mixed

The available source-linked Indian-media review for Return of the Jungle is mixed.

Best forViewers looking for animation and family in Hindi cinema.

Reception Order

All 1 review shown

The Indian Express Shubhra Gupta

While the 93-minute ‘Return of the Jungle’ is also dotted with several ‘teachable’ moments, it never forgets to add in the fun bits, and that’s where it scores. Once I got drawn in, it was clear that the film has more than a few things going for it. Playful animal characters, school kids who feel like they could exist out of the frame, relatable ‘problems’ that feel like they could be fixed, and, glory be, not a single mythological figure lurking in the jungle.

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Media & trailers

Source-linked video records attached to this title.

Details

Technical specs

Release date: 29 May 2026
Language: Hindi
Country: IN
Director: Vaibhav Kumaresh
Distributor: Janta Cinema

Trivia

The film was directed by Vaibhav Kumaresh and produced by his company, Vaibhav Studios.
The project was self-financed by the studio and developed over several years.
Return of the Jungle was showcased at the Cannes Film Market and screened at the International Film Festival of India.
The movie was released in India on 29 May 2026, following a teaser trailer release in April 2026.
Pichai Rangaswamy voices the character Thatha, while Jhanvi Patro and Sagarika Chandrakanth voice Sweety.
The film adapts stories from the Panchatantra within a contemporary narrative framework set in India.

Return of the Jungle

Return of the Jungle

Cast & crew

Reviews

Mixed

Media & trailers

Details

Technical specs

Trivia

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