From CGI bulls to real elephants, how Bollywood fakes (and makes) wildlife

Over the years, Bollywood has shown wild animals in movies, but not all of them are real. Sometimes filmmakers use technologies like computer-generated imagery (CGI) to create animals such as lions, houseflies, and others. However, they often use real animals, like dogs and elephants, as characters in their films.

From wild bull or bison in ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’, housefly in ‘Makkhi’, to golden retriever in Entertainment. Let’s take a look at some movies where filmmakers used both CGI technologies and real animals on screen. The movie was directed by Sajid and Farhad Samji and produced by Ramesh S Taurani under the banner of Tips Industries Limited.

Bison or wild bull in Baahubali: The Beginning

The bison wild bull in the most famous fight scene in ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’ was entirely created using CGI and VFX by the Malaysian company Tau Films. The blockbuster film ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’ was directed by SS Rajamouli and features actors like Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Sathyaraj, Ramya Krishnan, and others in the lead roles. 

Housefly in Makkhi 

The housefly in the movie ‘Makkhi’ was created using CGI, specifically VFX (Visual Effects) and advanced animation techniques, to portray the insect protagonist. It must be noted that the movie ‘Makkhi’ was the Hindi version of the Telugu-language action film ‘Eega’. The film was directed by SS Rajamouli and features Kiccha Sudeep, Nani, and Samantha Ruth Prabhu in the lead roles.

Dog in Entertainment 

Akshay Kumar’s starrer ‘Entertainment’ features a golden retriever named Junior. His role in the film was loved by the audience and the critics. Directed by Sajid and Farhad Samji, and produced by Ramesh Taurani under the banner of Tips Industries Limited.

Elephant in Haathi Mere Saathi 

The 1971 film ‘Haathi Mere Saathi’, the makers of the film features real elephants and their interactions with the lead actors. Directed by MA Thirumugham, the film stars Rajesh Khanna, Tanuja Samarth, and David Abraham in the lead roles. The movie follows the story of Raju (played by Rajesh Khanna, who is attached to his four elephants after they save his life.