‘Ranveer Singh’ and ‘wild’ are kind of synonymous with each other and that’s true for every aspect of his persona, superstar walk and talk to sartorial choices. But what exactly should one expect when Ranveer decides to take on the wild? The answer lies in the 70-minute watch called Ranveer vs Wild. With Bear Grylls, of course.
The actor is the latest in a line-up of Bollywood men — Akshay Kumar was probably the first and Vicky Kaushal the latest before Ranveer — to team up with the world’s foremost survivalist and adventurer. But unlike his predecessors, Ranveer plunges into an episode that not only demands much more of him physically and emotionally, but is also one in which he leaves his fate in the hands of the viewer.
Ranveer vs Wild with Bear Grylls, now streaming on Netflix, is an interactive special where the actor, trudging through some precarious terrain and dense forests in Serbia, is challenged every step of the way. Challenges that push him beyond his limit and make him realise the heights he can reach up to for love. His ultimate goal? To seek out the rare flower called Serbica Romanda for wife Deepika Padukone.
At various stages, the screen throws up two choices for the viewer that will determine the course of Ranveer and Bear’s journey. Sourced by the correspondent
When we first see him, Ranveer — dressed in staid khakis and sporting none of his trademark outlandish clothes — is running away from a ravenous bear. Cut to a man rapelling down from a helicopter and we have Bear rescuing Ranveer from the bear.
Thereafter, the two — with Ranveer understandably being in awe of Bear Grylls’ appetite for adventure and his tenacity against all odds but not shying away from referring to the Grylls as ‘mera Mowgli’ and ‘imported Tarzan’ — embark on a 36-hour mission. One that sees them navigate dangerous rock faces, brave wolves and swallow down some grossly inedible stuff.
At various stages, the screen throws up two choices for the viewer that will determine the course of Ranveer and Bear’s journey.
To be honest, Ranveer vs Wild, in terms of its interactive aspect, is Bandersnatch-lite. The 2018 film in the Black Mirror universe that also allowed viewers to determine the protagonists’ journey was far more edgy when it came to its choices. In the case of Ranveer’s show, the choices thrown up are fairly sanitised — like whether he should go for the grappling gun or the flare; whether he should wait for a new GPS device to arrive or rely on Bear’s sound knowledge of the jungle; and what is my favourite, hands down — should Ranveer, joined midway by close pal Karan Kapadia, eat maggots or try out the testicles of a wild boar. No prizes for guessing what I went for!
To be fair, Ranveer vs Wild, if it wasn’t for the man in the middle’s crazy antics and never-say-die attitude — the tears of joy when he summits and plucks off the flower are genuine, the warmth with which he talks about Deepika are heartfelt, the way he pulls through in the end is inspiring — wouldn’t really be much otherwise. We have seen Bear Grylls do all this before, and do it better. At the end, the special gives you another chance to restart and make different choices. Frankly, one time was too many for me. Tune in only if you want to see another side to Ranveer and some gorgeous Serbian topography.