British adventurer and television presenter Bear Grylls is back with his second interactive special for Netflix, and this one features Bollywood star Ranveer Singh. Titled Ranveer vs. Wild with Bear Grylls, the special will follow the same interactive format as Grylls’ previous Netflix series, You vs. Wild, which in turn was inspired by Grylls’ most popular survival reality series, Man vs. Wild. The special got a first teaser on Friday.
As always, Grylls and his guest find themselves in the middle of some sort of hostile environment, with only their wits and skills to rely on. The 40-second teaser shows Singh stranded in the middle of a forest, with Grylls and several wild animals for company. Ranveer vs. Wild is an interactive special like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, meaning that audiences will be able to make decisions on Singh’s behalf. His options in the face of danger range from dancing to actual survival tactics, like playing dead.
“Press the button, and save my life,” Singh says in Hindi, addressing viewers directly, as we see shots of the actor climbing rocks and running away from wild animals. “Ranveer better get the full adventure,” Grylls says, as we cut to more shots of the two, apparently zip lining across two mountains. “The madman did it easily, but what am I going to do?” Singh asks rhetorically in Hindi, as he watches Grylls pull off a dangerous stunt. The teaser ends with a money shot of Singh lying on the ground, with a bear sniffing around his body. Let’s hope that it doesn’t give him the Hugh Glass treatment.
This isn’t the first time that Grylls has featured an Indian star on one of his shows. Actors Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn have all appeared on special episodes of Into the Wild. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was featured as a guest on a special episode of Man vs. Wild.
Singh is one of Hindi cinema’s brightest young stars, having delivered acclaimed performances in period epics such as Padmaavat and Bajirao Mastani (which fans of the recent RRR might enjoy) and in the 8 Mile-inspired rap drama Gully Boy, which was selected as India’s official entry for the 2019 Oscars. He needs a win, though. Most recently, he starred in two back-to-back box office disappointments, the sports drama 83, and the comedy drama Jayeshbhai Jordaar.
The Ranveer vs Wild teaser seems to be leaning into the actor’s larger-than-life public persona. Monika Shergill, VP-Content, Netflix India, said about the special:
"We are excited to take audiences on the ultimate adventure with the high octane and unstoppable Ranveer Singh and the world’s best survival expert, Bear Grylls in Ranveer vs Wild with Bear Grylls. Netflix brings India’s first ever interactive adventure special that will give audiences all over the world the controls to test Ranveer Singh, as he pushes his boundaries in this adrenaline-pumping experience of a lifetime.”
Ranveer vs. Wild with Bear Grylls will premiere on Netflix on July 8. You can watch the teaser here, and read the official synopsis down below:
Ranveer takes off on a thrilling date with nature, fending for himself, and learning new survival skills as he ventures into the depths of the wild to find a rare flower for his lady love in the harsh forests of Serbia - all while the viewers get to pick the course of his escapades. After all, Ranveer never shies away from a challenge - and in matters of the heart, no stone is left unturned.