Lion King – showing the lost wonder?

The year is 2030. The place: anywhere in the Western World. The setting: an urban jungle, the vast expanse of concrete buildings, hoards of people, and cacophonies emanating from metallic junks. The pristine forest, the nature, is the thing of the past.

I saw a movie with a setting like this fifteen years ago. While I don’t remember the name and the entire plot, what I do remember and constantly think, is a scene where urban dwellers flock to a cinema to see a wildlife film. They cheer seeing extinct lions roar, gasp in amazement at the sight of elephants, cheetahs and crocodiles. The movie’s a big hit, its ticket are much sought after.

I thought the world would never come to that. Never. It was ambitious story telling. But now, after living in London, I’m beginning to re-evaluate my judgement.

I was in a theatre yesterday to watch Lion King. The play captures the spectacle of an African forest, where the lions rule, and the king lion is killed by his brother, who ascends the throne, banishing his nephew. The theatre came alive with the sights and sounds of all the animals, the prancing lions, the wheezing hyenas, and the mesmeric scenery that depicted the African savannah.

Londoners had turned up in full force. The theatre was packed. The audience cheered ever scene, and just like in the movie, gasped in wonder at the unfolding vista of the grassland. As much as I enjoyed watching the show, I couldn’t help but hark back to the scenes of the movie, thinking we’re witnessing it happen, the people from urban dump are turning up for a fake wildlife charm. But I must also admit, the audience wasn’t just cheering the animals and the wildlife, the singing, the acting, the costumes, and the way the stage changed as the scenes unfolded, one after another, they were equally impressive.

But, the play was about the magic (maybe the lost one) of the wildlife. I wouldn't have enjoyed half as much if the it contained honking cars, traffic jams, and airport check-in queues. I’m sure the rest of the crowd wouldn’t have either. And although, it’s still little too farfetched to say we’ve come close to what the movie depicted, we’re definitely inching closer towards it.