New Delhi: As Disney Plus’ Mufasa: The Lion King finally graced the big screen, actor Shreyas Talpade reacted to the outpouring of appreciation following the release.
“I’m truly overwhelmed and deeply grateful for the love coming my way,” said Talpade, who voices Timon, the chatty meerkat, in the Hindi dubbed version of the film.
Mufasa, a prequel to the 2019 film The Lion King, is directed by Barry Jenkins, and apart from its English version, the film is also available in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil.
Besides Talpade, the Hindi voice cast also includes Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Mishra, Meiyang Chang, Makarand Deshpande, and Khan’s two sons Aryan and AbRam.
In 2019, Talpade had also voiced Timon in the Hindi version of The Lion King, alongside a cast featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Aryan Khan, Ashish Vidyarthi, and Sanjay Mishra.
“We live to entertain, and when our efforts succeed, it feels like receiving an award,” he added.
In Mufasa: The Lion King, Timon shares an endearing and humorous bond with Pumbaa, voiced by Sanjay Mishra.
The duo provides comic relief with their playful antics and quirky personalities.
Timon’s quick wit and Pumbaa’s lovable naivety complement each other, offering Timon a perfect foil. Together, they support Simba’s journey, becoming loyal friends and guiding him through challenging times with humour and wisdom.
Talpade revealed that contrary to the on-screen chemistry, he didn’t have much time to engage with the cast, explaining, “The nature of dubbing is that everyone records separately in the studio. But the chemistry between Timon and Pumbaa on screen is fantastic, and they complement each other beautifully.”
Reflecting on his role, Talpade, who also dubbed for Allu Arjun’s character Pushpa in Pushpa 2: The Rule, admitted he wasn’t sure how he landed the part in Mufasa: The Lion King.
“I don’t know how they thought of me, but I’m glad they did—otherwise, I’d have missed out on singing ‘Hakuna Matata’ and ‘Hakuna Mufasa’,” he added.
Talpade described Pushpa and Timon as “completely different…in terms of personality, attitude and body language”, saying that as an actor, he had to understand that difference before voicing the two characters.