Disney Studios India dropped a new trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King in Tamil, revealing the stellar voice cast for the dubbed version. The cast includes Arjun Das as Mufasa, Ashok Selvan as Taka, Nasser as Kiros, VTV Ganesh as Rafiki, Robo Shankar as Pumbaa, and Singam Puli as Timon. The trailer gives a glimpse of an orphaned, young Mufasa's life and the friendship he shares with Taka.
Speaking about the opportunity to lend his voice to the titular character, Arjun said, "Being part of Mufasa: The Lion King is a dream come true, and it’s an honour to voice such an iconic character that holds a special place in all our childhood memories. As a little kid, I remember watching The Lion King, never imagining that years later I would be the voice of Mufasa in Tamil. I’ve always wanted to learn more about how Mufasa became one of the greatest kings in cinematic history. Bringing Mufasa to life for Tamil audiences and being a part of Disney’s unparalleled storytelling has truly been a once-in-a-lifetime experience!”
About dubbing for the royal lion Taka, Ashok Selvan said, "Generations across the world have grown up watching The Lion King, and I too have fond memories of this fantastic story, the iconic songs, comical adventures and enjoying it with my friends and family. To bring Taka to life for Tamil audiences in Mufasa: The Lion King, was an experience I will never forget! This is a visual spectacle for families to come together and enjoy on the big screen.”
Earlier, the studio announced Shah Rukh Khan and Mahesh Babu as the voice of Mufasa in the Hindi and Telugu versions, respectively. Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr voice Mufasa and Taka, respectively, in the English original.
Director Barry Jenkins' film tells the story of Mufasa, charting his transformative journey from a cub to the king of the Pride Lands alongside Taka and their "extraordinary group of misfits". It serves as a prequel to Jon Favreau's 2019 film The Lion King, a live-action remake of the 1994 classic.
The Tamil cast also includes Nasser as Kiros, VTV Ganesh as Rafiki, Robo Shankar as Pumbaa, and Singam Puli as Timon.
Singam Puli reprises his voice role as Timon after his work on the 2019 film. Speaking about the role, he said, "It is a very happy moment for me to be back as Timon and be a part of such an iconic film that will bring families together to the theatre. My 2019 experience was extremely memorable, and it was great to relive those moments and bring new touches to Timon’s character this time for Mufasa: The Lion King. What I really like about Timon is that he knows how to be happy in any situation and shares his positivity with everyone, audiences will have a great time watching Timon’s antics onscreen once again!”
Robo Shankar, who also reprises his role as Pumbaa from the 2019 film, said, "Once again it has been fantastic to be part of this iconic franchise and give my personal touch as the Tamil voice of Pumbaa for Mufasa: The Lion King. Pumbaa is full of life and raises the spirit of those around him with his one-liners and hilarious moments, and voicing for Pumbaa made me relive all the fond memories of 2019, I hope audiences enjoy Pumbaa’s new comedy on the big screen on 20th December.”
About voicing for a young Rafiki, VTV Ganesh stated, "It has been a great experience to be a part of this blockbuster franchise and I enjoyed giving my personal touch to the Tamil voice of Rafiki. Family audiences are in for a treat when Mufasa: The Lion King releases on 20th December!"
On the other hand, the voice of Kiros, Nasser, stated, “I absolutely enjoyed voicing for this very dynamic character, and it has been great to be part of Disney’s stellar legacy and this much-loved franchise. While voicing, the challenge is always to be able to stay true to the story but also connect in our local language. With this character, I felt empowered to do so and I hope this new avatar of mine is appreciated by my fans.”
Mufasa: The Lion King will open in Indian theatres on December 20, 2024, in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.