Sitara Ghattamaneni, daughter of actor Mahesh Babu, is excited to see her father step into the world of The Lion King with Disney’s upcoming film Mufasa: The Lion King. Mahesh Babu has lent his voice to the iconic character of Mufasa in the Telugu version of the film, and Sitara couldn’t be prouder.
In a promotional video released by the production house, Sitara shares her admiration for her father’s portrayal of the beloved lion king. “I feel proud that my dad did the film because Mufasa is such an iconic character in The Lion King,” she says. “He’s loving, and protective. He’s a lot like Mufasa in real life as well.” Sitara also humorously adds that she worked with Disney first, thanks to her role in Frozen.
Sitara goes on to describe how Mahesh Babu prepared for the role, noting that it was his first time voicing an animated character. She reminisces about an endearing moment involving their pet dog, Snoopy, sharing, “My dad used to hold Snoopy like that when he was a little baby… It’s quite funny that now he’s actually playing Mufasa.” She wraps up the video with a lighthearted wish, saying, “I would love to play Mufasa’s daughter Kiara when I grow up.”
About Mufasa: The Lion King
Directed by Barry Jenkins, Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel that explores the backstory of Simba’s father, Mufasa. The film traces Mufasa’s journey from an orphaned lion cub to a respected leader. Inspired by the beloved 1994 animated classic, the film is a reimagining of the story, and Mahesh Babu’s voice brings the character of Mufasa to life in Telugu.
The film features an impressive voice cast, including Brahmanandam as Pumbaa, Ali as Timon, Satyadev as Taka, and Ayyappa P Sharma as Kiros. Tamil actor Arjun Das has been announced as the voice of Mufasa in Tamil.
In the Hindi version, Shah Rukh Khan voices Mufasa, with his son Aryan Khan voicing Simba, while his youngest son, AbRam Khan, voices Mufasa as a cub. Other voices in the Hindi version include Sanjay Mishra as Pumbaa, Shreyas Talpade as Timon, Makarand Deshpande as Rafiki, and Meiyang Chang as Taka.