Hang on, get off

Did you know Mowgli converted to Islam so as to marry his beloved? That’s what Kipling wrote in his extensive summary of what life would have been like for the jungle boy when he met our so-called civilization. I find this aspect of his writing curious because we are talking about 1894 here. It could have been any other religion but the writer—often accused for being an unabashed racist—took a Bollywoodish turn and mixed religion with drama. Of course, there’s no merit in parallelizing Mowgli with what Dharmendra did to marry Hema Malini but still, there’s a whiff of communal sentimentality involved. Or am i thinking too much about gharwapsi? In any case, the bone of contention can always be thrown back to the creator who feels about his creations in a certain manner. So, it’s Kipling’s call whether he decides to circumcise the boy-who-should-have-never-grown-up-in-the-first-place or not. Who am i to judge his original intensions? Having blabbered that, i can’t believe he not only left his animal friends but also forsake the language in which he spoke to them. Moreover, it’s more difficult to come to terms with the reality that Mowgli hasn’t been conferred with Bharat Ratna yet.