The video shows PM Modi, dressed in outdoor casuals, on a makeshift raft, walking through wild growth and making a make-do spear with Grylls.
By Kumar Uttam, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Come August 12 and the world will see a completely different side of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he features on Man vs Wild, learning the tricks of survival in untamed wilderness with the show host Bear Grylls to raise awareness about protecting nature.
“People across 180 countries will get to see the unknown side of PM @narendramodi as he ventures into Indian wilderness to create awareness about animal conservation & environmental change,” Grylls tweeted, sharing a short video of the show that will be aired on Discovery channel on August 12 at 9 pm.
Speaking about the show, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said, “For years, I have lived among nature, in the mountains and the forests. These years have a lasting impact on my life. So when I was asked about a special programme focussing on life beyond politics and that too in the midst of nature I was both intrigued and inclined to take part in it.”
Watch | PM Modi to feature in ‘Man vs Wild’ with Bear Grylls
“For me, this show presents a great opportunity to showcase to the world India’s rich environmental heritage and stress on the importance of environment conservation and living in harmony with nature. It was a great experience spending time in the jungle once again, this time with Bear, who is blessed with indefatigable energy and quest to experience nature at its purest,” the Prime Minister further said.
A trailer for the programme shows Modi, 68, driving into the Jim Corbett National Park in northern India guided by Grylls, with images of a tiger, a herd of elephants and deer running in the distance.
“You are the most important person in India, it’s my job to protect you,” Grylls tells Modi.
The popular show, which is in its 8th season, features Grylls tackling extreme challenges and navigating through remote locations around the world, sharing invaluable survival strategies along the way.
Among the celebrities that have earlier featured on the show are actors Zac Efron, Channing Tatum, Ben Stiller, Michael B. Jordan and and then President Barack Obama (in December 2018).
The US president trekked through a remote part of Alaska to promote action on climate change. “I’m skinny but tougher than I look,” said Obama of the challenge.
The president drank tea made from catkins and melting glacier water and nibbled on a half-eaten salmon, which Grylls later told media, had been discarded by a bear.
(This story has not been edited by KASHMIR TODAY staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)