Bear Grylls calls PM Modi ‘one of world’s strongest leaders’, recalls Man vs Wild episode | World

British adventurer Bear Grylls on Tuesday sent a special shoutout to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, lauding him as one of the most powerful leaders in the world and recalling the Man vs Wild episode the duo shot back in 2019.

In a post on X,  Grylls, host of the popular Man vs Wild show, shared a series of photographs from his meetings with global leaders, including Modi, former US President Barack Obama and Prince William. He further hailed the Indian Prime Minister as one of the “most powerful leaders in the world.”

“I’ve met some of the most powerful leaders in the world. The best ones were never the loudest,” he wrote in the post.

The post brought back memories of Grylls’ widely watched episode shot in Uttarakhand, which highlighted PM Modi’s views on environmental conservation alongside India’s rich wildlife heritage.

Man vs Wild episode with PM Modi

In 2019, a year before the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world, Narendra Modi joined Bear Grylls for a special episode of Man vs Wild. The episode was filmed at the Jim Corbett National Park and broadcast worldwide on the Discovery Channel. 

“For years, I have lived among nature, in the mountains and the forests. These years have had a lasting impact on my life,” Modi had said ahead of the episode’s release, describing himself as both amazed and inclined to take part in the show. 

The episode saw the two trekking through dense forest, crossing rain-soaked terrain, and building a makeshift raft from reeds, all while discussing wildlife conservation. Modi also spoke about his early years in the Himalayas, saying they taught him to live in harmony with nature. 

In one memorable moment, Grylls showcased a spear as a safety precaution, but Modi refused to use it, saying, “My upbringing does not allow me to take a life. However, I will hold onto it since you insist”

During the episode, Modi emphasised that people should live alongside nature rather than treat it as an opponent. He further tied environmental protection to his cleanliness campaigns, saying personal hygiene needs to go hand in hand with what he called “social hygiene.”

Following the screening of the episode, several social media users questioned how Grylls understood Modi’s Hindi.

The PM later clarified on his Mann Ki Baat radio show that both of them used real-time translation earpiece technology throughout the shoot.

Also read: What did India gain from PM Modi’s Seychelles, Indonesia and Australia visits? BJP explains