Shreyas Talpade on 'Mufasa: The Lion King' voice cast: 'Shah Rukh, Aryan, AbRam, Sanjay Mishra, and I share phenomenal on-screen chemistry' - Exclusive

Disney’s highly anticipated live-action prequel 'Mufasa: The Lion King' is all set to roar at theatres near you this Friday, December 20. Ahead of the release of the film, actors Shreyas Talpade and Sanjay Mishra, who lend their voices to the beloved characters Timon and Pumbaa in the Hindi version, in an exclusive conversation with ETimes, opened up about the camaraderie among the cast, particularly with 'King' Shah Rukh Khan and his 'cubs' Aryan and AbRam.

Following the success of 'The Lion King' in 2019, the duo shared their excitement to bring song, mischief and merriment to this epic saga of legacy and leadership.
While Shreyas may not be teaming up with his daughter Aadya on this project, he shares how becoming a parent has greatly influenced his career choices. "Once you become a parent, certain things start changing. You want to do something your kids can relate to, or feel proud of—something they can even show off, saying, ‘Oh, my father is in this film,’” he explained. “Especially with Disney, which has the maximum connection with kids, you want to stay alive for that generation. What better than 'The Lion King' or 'Mufasa: The Lion King', where the stories and characters have become not just iconic but legendary?"
When asked about collaborating with his co-stars, Talpade praised the collaborative effort of the dubbing team, led by Mona Shetty, and said, "There's Shah Rukh Khan, Aryan, Abram and Sanjay bhai and myself, we share a bond and a chemistry which is quite phenomenal on screen."
"Timon and Pumbaa's dynamic is something truly special,” he added.
Back in 2019, 'The Lion King' went on to score a blockbuster run in Indian theatres. Interestingly, it was the Hindi-dubbed version which raked in the big bucks, and the biggest audiences nationwide. Discussing the reception the film received, Sanjay Mishra humorously emphasized, “People shouldn’t say, ‘Oh, that was great, he ruined it.’ If you want to watch it, watch it in English. No! Watch it in Hindi—you’ll see what we’ve done."
Shreyas chimed in, "The last time, the Hindi version performed incredibly well. This time, it’s a prequel, not a remake of the animated classic, so it’s something fresh. We want people to watch the Hindi version and connect with it the way they did before."
Addressing the unique challenges of working on a prequel, the actor duos teased the storyline while remaining tight-lipped about plot details. “This is the first of its kind, and I can’t reveal too much," Shreyas said, but went on to tease, "Since it’s a prequel, Simba isn’t born yet, so you might wonder how Timon and Pumbaa fit into the story. But that’s the fun part! You’ll have to watch the film to see how the characters, including Rafiki, Zazu, and, of course, Mufasa, come together."
'Mufasa: The Lion King' directed by Barry Jenkins, the film hit theatres on Friday in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu language.