Modi Vs. Wild

As seen in the promotional video released on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to feature in one of the upcoming episodes of Man VS Wild on Discovery Channel. The popular British show is hosted by none other than renowned adventurer Bear Grylls.

After the trailer was released on Twitter, it didn't take long for the news to spread like wildfire and trigger reactions of netizens across the nation. Bear Grylls tweeted the video saying people would get to see “the unknown side” of the prime minister and that this was to create awareness about wildlife and environment conservation.

In the trailer, PM Modi can be seen wading into the waters of the river inside Jim Corbett national park, Uttarakhand. The news was absolutely surprising for everyone be it ardent Modi supporters, critiques or people who don't bother to side themselves either way.

About being featured on the show, the Prime Minister told Discovery Channel, “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.”

"For me, this show presents a great opportunity to showcase to the world India's rich environmental heritage and stress on the importance of environmental 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," he further added.

But of course given the unconventional nature of the news, people across the internet were quick to divide over the topic and had a gala time.

Here is how the headlines triggered reactions of people across nation, from praise to criticism and of course our favourite - humour.

1. The Enthusiasts

This segment of people are true blue Modi supporters and I am sure this definitely made their day. They were all praises for the PM and went gaga as soon as the news broke out. The excitement was evident among them and citizens were anything but proud about the initiative of helping raise awareness for animals and conversation of environment. The fans were more than delighted to see him in a completely different avatar outside the world of politics, while some also hailing him as an inspiration for the youth.

2. The Critiques

These were quick to criticise the PM for his documentary given the circumstances it was shot in. For the unacquainted, the episode was shot during the unfortunate Pulwama attack which even led to the delay in his condemnation of the attack. This particularly drew a lot of flak, given the issue of Pulwama attack was heavily used during the 2019 Lok Sabha campaign.

And on top of it, there have been instances where Modi has not been an advocate of climate change by refusing to acknowledge it in the first place. Also, his government, which calls itself pro development, is quite notorious for clearing hectares of forests for highways and other infrastructure.

3. The Humorists.

Aah ! Personally my favourite of the lot. In no time, the online arena was flooded with memes and jokes laden with sarcasm. And why not, given the nature of our enthusiastic and camera loving Prime Minister, the netizens were not going to let go of this golden chance to leave everyone in splits. They made the most of this opportunity and boy, they didn't disappoint for sure.

With TRPs shooting right through the roof its definitely going to be a win win situation for the Discovery Channel. Take it in a good, bad or funny way but all we can say is, "Modi hai toh mumkin hai". *wink*