Bolta Jungle

Buldeo, a professional story-teller in the streets of Khaniwara, is approached by an English girl who wants to take his photograph. He shrewdly bargains to tell her a true story of India for "a few silver rupees".

Buldeo recalls himself years before as the unchallenged Chief Hunter of a little settlement on the oustskirts of the great jungle. One day, Shere Khan, The Tiger, kills the husband of Messua. In the excitement, Messua's two-year old son, Nathoo, wanders off toward the jungle alone. Buldeo organises a posse, which hunts without success for the tiger and for the boy.

Nathoo has been led to the cave of a wolf-pack, where he is adopted by Rashka, the mother-wolf. Shere Khan, The Tiger, follows the boy's trail to the cave, but he is stood off by the whole wolf family. He leaves, after vowing to wait for the man-cub, and kill him in good time. Nathoo becomes known as Mowgli and is adopted by all of the jungle beasts.

One day, after a wild escape from the tiger, Mowgli happens upon a village. His curiosity draws him closer, and he is captured and overpowered. Buldeo warns that, because of his strange ways he is a demon, but messua instinctively guesses that he might be her lost child.

Mowgli learns the ways of people from Messua, and he meets Mahala, Buldeo's pretty daughter. Together with Mahala, Mowgli stumbles upon a fabolous city of treasure. Buldeo and the other tribesmen cajole Mowgli into telling them the location of the treasure, but he refuses. Just then, Shere Khan appears, and the Tiger kills an old watchman. Mowgli escaping unscathed. Mowgli deter,ines to track down the tiger, and he kills him after a thrilling chase through the jungle.

When Mowgli enters the village in the evening, bearing the Tiger's skin, he is seized. He is to be burned as  a demon, Messua helps Mowgli to escape, and the boy feels into the jungle, leaving an easy trail for Buldeo and the tribesman to follow. Buldeo and the others get the treasure, but throw it away piece by piece as their progress throught the dense jungle becomes hazardous.

When Buldeo returns to the village he claims that Mowgli had bewitched the treasure expedition, and that therefore Messua must die. Mowgli returns to the village, followed by all of his jungle friends, a horde of gleaming eyes in the darkness.

Mowgli bargains with Buldeo for the release of Messua, threatening that he will release all of the jungle denizens upon the village. Messua is released. Together with Mowgli, she goes to live at Khaniwara, a distant village. But still Mowgli is not happy.There is one thing lacking-- a mate. So he returns to Buldeo, and claims the pretty Mahala for his wife.

As Buldeo, the story-teller, concludes his tale, the entranced English girl asks him to tell more about what happened to Mowgli and Mahala. But the crafty old man refuses, assuring himself of a few more silver rupees by hinting:

"That, Memsahib, is another story....."

(From the offical press booklet)