Blending live action and performance capture, the story follows the upbringing of the human child Mowgli ( Rohan Chand ) raised by a wolf pack in the jungles of India. As he learns the often-harsh rules of the jungle, under the tutelage of a bear named Baloo ( Andy Serkis ) and a panther named Bagheera ( Christian Bale ), Mowgli becomes accepted by the animals of the jungle as one of their own. All but one: the fearsome tiger Shere Khan. ( Benedict Cumberbatch ). But there may be greater dangers lurking in the jungle, as Mowgli comes face to face with his human origins. The other story’s central animal characters are: Kaa, the snake ( Cate Blanchett ); the leader of the wolf pack, Akela ( Peter Mullan ); the scavenging hyena, Tabaqui ( Tom Hollander ); Nisha, the female wolf ( Naomie Harris ), who adopts the baby Mowgli as one of her cubs; Nisha’s mate, Vihaan ( Eddie Marsan ); and Mowgli’s Brother Wolf ( Jack Reynor ). Discuss this with fellow SJF fans on Facebook . On Twitter