12 Bollywood Flicks That Showed Elephants Are Our Friends
Posted On: 12 Sep 2022 | Last Updated : 19 Oct 2022 | Views : 6.2k
Bollywood has celebrated the unconditional love between humans and their pet animals, especially the massive yet kind elephants, who often come in handy to save the day of their masters. Animals have always been shown in a positive light in Bollywood movies, be it elephants, dogs, cats, or even horses, they always show utmost loyalty toward their masters. The Bollywood movies based on man-animal relationship is one of the favourites of the cine-lovers who are also animal lovers. In addition to this, the Bollywood movies based on man and elephant relationships often come with a lesson that a beast as huge as an elephant can have a heart of gold and be more trustworthy than humans. So today, we are going to discuss the top 12 Bollywood movies based on man and elephants relationship. For more such Bollywood updates, articles, topics, and trivia related to movies and celebrities, stay tuned.
1. Kala Parvat (1971)
The superhit Bollywood children’s movie, Kala Parvat revolves around a giant elephant, Kala Parvat, who lives with his herd and son, Toofan. He manages to take care and keep together his herd of elephants in the forest. However, due to drought, the elephants are forced to leave the forest in search of food and water. The forest officer captures all the elephants to safeguard the people living in the forests, but Kala Parvat manages to escape him. At last, Kala Parvat gives up to the love and kindness of the son of the officer and joins his herd in care of the officer. Things go well until Toofan goes mad and causes trouble in the village. Now, only Kala Parvat can tend his son and protect everyone in the village.
2. Haathi Mere Saathi (1971)
Rajesh Khanna and Tanuja starrer Haathi Mere Saathi, directed by M. A. Thirumugam, is one of the best Bollywood movies based on man and elephants’ relation. The movie follows the story of a young man named Raju (Rajesh Khanna), who is very attached with his four elephants and carries out street tricks with his elephants to earn money. Things go well until Raju gets married and his wife gets pregnant. Raju’s wife fears the presence of four elephants in her home for her child, therefore, she asks Raju to make a choice between his family and the elephants.
3. Balak Aur Janwar (1975)
Nanabhai Bhatt’s Balak Aur Janwar is an adventure drama. The movie revolves around a young boy, who is born to a princess. It is believed that the boy was born to fulfil the curse an old priest casted on the magician king because of all the trouble he causes to the people under his monarch. As per everyone’s expectations, the boy fulfills his mission of killing the evil magician king, with the help of his elephant friends and saves everyone.
4. Maa (1976)
M. A. Thirumugam’s Bollywood family drama, Maa features Dharmendra and Hema Malini in the titular roles. The movie follows the story of a young man named Vijay, who lives with his mother in a house deep in jungles. Vijay traps animals for the zoos and sells them to earn money. However, his mother is against his job, and warns him on different occasions to stop separating the mothers from their babies, but Vijay ignores all the warnings from his mother. On one such occasion, he captures a baby elephant and sells it to the zoo, but the mother elephant doesn’t take the separation well and attacks and nearly kills Vijay’s mother. Vijay’s dying mother makes him promise to reunite all the cups with their mother, it is then Vijay realizes his mistake and makes it his mission to fulfil his dying mother’s wish.
5. Safed Haathi (1977)
The National Film Award winner Safed Haathi is a children’s movie that is one of the top Bollywood movies based on man-animal relationship. It follows the story of a young boy named Sibu and his sister Rani, who are orphaned and live with their evil aunt and uncle in a small village, and are often tortured by them. Sibu develops a unique friendship with a white animal in a nearby forest, but Rani warns him to not share this with their uncle and aunt. One day, the elephant gives Sibu a gold coin, which is discovered by his greedy uncle and aunt, who wish to learn more about its origin and get more of them. However, the knowledge of the white elephant in the forest may create a lot of troubles for the elephant and Sibu.
6. Habari (1978)
Directed by Sher Jung Singh, the action-adventure drama Habari features Mahendra Sandhu and Preeti Sapru. The word ‘Habari’ is related to animal protection or safeguarding them from merciless hunters. The movie follows the story of a man who is an animal lover and dedicates his life to protect the wild animals from hunters. However, in his mission to protect the animals, he faces many troubles, especially from the villain who hunts the wild animals for his gains, especially the massive elephants.
7. Main Aur Mera Hathi (1981)
Main Aur Mera Hathi is an action-adventure drama, directed by R. Thiyagaraj, features Mithun Chakraborty, Poonam Dhillon and Suresh Oberoi. The movie follows the story of a young man named Ram, who is wrongly framed for the murder, who he did not commit. An evil bandit, Teja was behind all the plans to frame Ram, and put him behind the bars. Ram decides to seek vengeance from Teja, and once out of the prison, Ram befriends an elephant who helps him to carry out his revenge on Teja. The movie showcases a devoted friendship between elephant and man.
8. Dost (1989)
K. Murali Mohana Rao’s Dost features Mithun Chakraborty as the protagonist, Raja. Raja is an orphan, who grows up to become the forest officer and take care of the wild animals in the forest. He rescues an elephant, Ram, and befriends him. It is one of the top Bollywood movies based on man and elephant relationship, as it shows the devoted friendship of Raja and Ram. Things go well, until Raja comes across the evil father son duo, Sher Singh and Nagendra, who are poachers making a living out of killing animals for their profit. It is to be found, whether Raja succeeds in getting rid of them and safeguarding the life of the innocent wild animals or not.
9. Main Tera Dushman (1989)
Jackie Shroff and Jaya Prada starrer, Vijay Reddy’s Main Tera Dushman is another example of the Bollywood movie that showcases the man-animal friendship. Movie follows the story of an honest forest officer named Kishan, who lives happily with his wife and son. However, he is framed for a murder he never committed by evil Thakur Dayalu and a corrupt police officer. After Kishan is sent to jail, the two try to harm his family, but an elephant comes to their rescue and protects them from the evil men till the return of Kishan.
10. Jodidar (1997)
The 1997 fantasy film, Jodidar, directed by T.L.V. Prasad, features Mithun Chakraborty and Raasi in the lead roles. The movie revolves around an elephant named Ganesh, who witnesses the death of his master in the hands of three poachers, who wished to kill the elephants for their benefit. Later, Ganesh is taken care of by another master, Munna. It is then he identifies the three men, who killed his initial master, and decides to avenge his master’s death. However, this time he is not alone, but has the support of his new master, Munna.
11. Jumbo (2008)
The 3-D computer animated adventure film Jumbo, directed by Kompin Kemgumnird, follows the story of a baby elephant, Jumbo, who loves to carry out adventures. However, due to one such adventure, he gets separated from his herd, and never finds them again. Jumbo grows alone and becomes a war elephant. Soon after, Jumbo decides to find out more about his father. He sets out to locate his father and, on his way, meets a royal elephant, who narrates how Jumbo’s father died in a battle. Jumbo then decides to avenge his father’s death.
12. Junglee (2019)
Chuck Russell’s action-adventure drama Junglee featuring Vidyut Jammwal is one of the top Bollywood movies based on man-animal relation. It follows the story of a young man named Raj, who is a veterinarian in Mumbai. On the 10th death anniversary of his mother, Raj visits his dad’s elephant sanctuary, and learns that things have gone bad due to the hunters, who have been killing the elephants for their tusks. Raj decides to stay and protect the elephants that his father has been protecting all his life. However, he ends up in an ugly war with the evil poachers and hunters. The question remains, will Raj be able to protect all the elephants in the sanctuary or not.
