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Good night, Ranjan, my little wild thing.
―Messua[src]


Messua is a supporting character in Disney's 2003 film The Jungle Book 2. She is the Village Leader's wife and Ranjan's mother, and Mowgli's new adoptive mother.

Background[]

Messua is a woman from the Man Village who adopted Mowgli when he followed Shanti into the village. She is the only character who debuted in The Jungle Book 2 who also appeared in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book, though she is not as prominent as she was in the books. Instead the role of Mowgli's influential parental figure was given to her husband.

Personality[]

Messua is a kind, loving and cheerful woman who generally puts the needs of others before her own. She is very devoted to her family, whom she is always supportive of and is not as assertive as her husband when it comes to discipline. This is evidenced throughout the film. In addition to that, she is able to maintain calmness during stressful situations, as shown by her providing emotional support to her husband while searching for Mowgli, Ranjan, and Shanti in the jungle.

Messua is also quite bubbly, sometimes even with a sense of mischief, toward her loved ones. As evidenced by her recalling the moment she and Ranjan's father fell in love in a similar manner as Mowgli and Shanti did, while playfully twisting his beard and letting out a smirk, indicating that she retains some flirtatious side from her youth as well. Another example is how she caught Mowgli and Ranjan sneaking out and questioned their intention in a playful tone. She is also aware of Mowgli and Shanti's romantic feelings and she appears to approve of it. Also, unlike her husband, Messua was more open-minded about Mowgli's passion for the jungle but nevertheless preferred that he stayed out of potential harm's way.

Physical appearance[]

Messua is a beautiful slender woman with tan skin, brown eyes, thick black eyebrows, long straight black hair, and a red bindi on her forehead.

She wears a turquoise sari with white stripes on each sleeve and a white stripe around the bottom of the skirt. In addition to that, she has a light blue drape wrapped around her waist and over her shoulder. She also wears dark blue round-shaped earrings, a golden bracelet on her left arm, and brown sandals.

Role in the film[]

In the film, Messua watches with her husband, Ranjan, Shanti, and Shanti's mother as Mowgli puts on a puppet show, to which Ranjan accidentally ruins by jumping at the shadow of the Shere Khan puppet, thinking Shere Khan is really attacking Mowgli. The morning after the puppet show, while she was washing dishes, she reminds the boys to have breakfast before they get started on chores (in which the boys tell her they're not hungry and dash off to prank Shanti). She helps her husband and the other villagers search the jungle to find Mowgli, Shanti, and Ranjan. She is last seen smiling with her husband and telling Mowgli and Shanti to not be too long while getting the water (for her and her husband know that they're going to the jungle).

Differences from the source material[]

  • Messua plays a much larger role in Kipling's stories than in the Disney version.
  • In both versions, Messua is beautiful, kind, and motherly, married to a powerful man in the village, and considers Mowgli to be her own son. However, in the books it is revealed that Messua lost her biological son in a tiger attack several years before Mowgli entered the village and immediately assumes Mowgli is her long-lost son Nathoo. This is later proven false, as Mowgli's birth parents were from a different village. Though this revelation did not seem to matter to Messua as Mowgli still meant the world to her despite the misunderstanding.
  • In the books, Messua and Raksha actually met. Although Messua did not understand Raksha, the latter told Mowgli how thankful she is that such warm and caring people exist in the world of man. In the Disney version, Messua and Raksha never met, since Raksha and the wolf pack didn't appear in the sequel and that Messua has replaced Raksha in the role as Mowgli's new adoptive mother.
  • In the books, Messua was sentenced to execution by the villagers for standing up for Mowgli when he was accused of sorcery. When Mowgli heard this news, he destroyed the village and rescued Messua. In the Disney version, it is Messua and the villagers who set out to save Mowgli.
  • In the books, after rescuing Messua, Mowgli escorted her through the jungle until they reached the village of Khanhiwara where she could be safe and start a new life. Mowgli and Messua did not meet again for seven years. In the Disney version, Mowgli is not accused of sorcery and he and Messua are not separated for more than a day.
  • In the books, Mowgli had a deeper bond with Messua than his adoptive father. While the Disney version does not show as much mother-son relationship between them, instead it is Messua's husband who interacts more with Mowgli.

Gallery[]


v - e - d
The Jungle Book Logo
Media
Films: The Jungle Book (soundtrack/video) • The Jungle Book 2 (video) • Rudyard Kipling'sMowgli's Story2016 Live-action Film (soundtrack/video) • Sequel Film

Shows: Jungle Cubs
Video Games: The Jungle BookThe Jungle Book Groove PartyThe Jungle Book: Mowgli's Wild AdventureThe Jungle Book: Mowgli's RunDisney Classic Games CollectionDisney Speedstorm
Books: More Jungle Book... Further Adventures of Baloo and Mowgli

Disney Parks
Animated film: Disney's Explorers LodgeDisney Animation BuildingGarden of the Twelve FriendsIt's a Small WorldRhythm of the Jungle

Live action: Disney Movie MagicThe Jungle Book: Alive with Magic
Entertainment: AnimagiqueDisney's BelieveDisney's WishesDisney Classics: The Music & The MagicFantasmic!Festival of Family & FriendsHakuna Matata Time Dance PartyIt's Party Time... with Mickey and FriendsJourney into the Jungle BookMickey's Gift of DreamsMickey's Magical Music WorldMickey and the Magical MapMickey and the Wondrous BookMickey presents: “Happy Anniversary Disneyland Paris”One Man's Dream II: The Magic Lives On!Rivers of Light: We Are OneSuper Duper Jumpin' TimeThe Forest of Enchantment: A Disney Musical Adventure
Restaurants: Colonel Hathi's Pizza Outpost
Shops: Adventureland Bazaar
Parade: Disney's Dreams On Parade: Moving OnDisney's Magical Moments ParadeDisney's Party ExpressDisney Adventure Friends CavalcadeDisney Magic on ParadeDisney Stars on ParadeFlights of Fantasy ParadeJubilation!Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street PartyMickey's Soundsational ParadeThe Wonderful World of Disney Parade
Firework: Celebrate the MagicCelebrate! Tokyo DisneylandDisney Dreams!Disneyland ForeverHappily Ever AfterMickey's Mix MagicMomentousTree of Life Awakens
Summer: Adventure is Out There!The Jungle Book Jive
Halloween: Happy Hallowishes

Characters
Original: MowgliBalooBagheeraKing LouieShere KhanKaaColonel HathiWinifredHathi, Jr.Buzzie, Flaps, Ziggy, and DizzyAkelaRamaShantiRakshaWolf PupsSeeonee PackJungle PatrolFlunkeyBandar-log

Deleted characters: Rocky the RhinoBuldeoTabaqui
Sequel: RanjanRanjan's FatherMessuaShanti's MotherLucky
Rudyard Kipling's: Grey BrotherNathooKitty BrydonColonel Geoffrey BrydonSergeant ClaibourneDr. Julius PlumfordWilliam BooneSergeant HarleyBuldeoTabaquiLt. John WilkinsIndian BanditsAlice, Rose, and Margaret
Jungle Cubs: Arthur and CecilThe CrocMahraNed, Jed & FredMungoLeahCainDholesWinifred's UncleMcCoyDictator TurtleWhitehood
Mowgli's Story: Li'l RakshaChilBiranyiTarzan Chimp
2016 film: IkkiMr. PangolinGiant SquirrelFred the Pygmy HogMowgli's Father
House of Mouse: King Larry

Locations
JungleAncient RuinsMan VillageIndiaAsia
Episodes
Season One: "A Night in the Wasteland" • "How the Panther Lost His Roar/The Humans Must Be Crazy" • "Hathi Meets His Match/Buffaloed" • "Mondo Mungo/Bare Necessities" • "Who Wants to Be a Baboon?" • "Red Dogs" • "The Great Kaadini" • "Hulla Baloo/Shere Bliss" • "Treasure of the Middle Jungle" • "Feather Brains/Benny & Clyde" • "Splendor in the Mud" • "Trouble in the Jungle/Fool Me Once..." • "The Coming of the Wolves"

Season Two: "The Ape Who Would Be King" • "Trunks for the Memories/Kasaba Ball" • "Hathi's Makeover/Curse of the Magnificent Melon" • "The Five Bananas/Birthday Snake" • "Old Green Teeth/The Elephant Who Couldn't Say No" • "Hair Ball/A Tale of Two Tails" • "Waiting for Baloo/Tree for Two" • "Nice Tiger/Sleepless in the Jungle"

Songs
Original: "Colonel Hathi's March" • "The Bare Necessities" • "I Wan'na Be Like You" • "Trust in Me" • "That's What Friends are For" • "My Own Home"

More Jungle Book: "Baloo's Blues" • "Jungle Fever" • "If You Wanna See Some Strange Behavior (Take a Look at Man)" • "It's a Kick"
Jungle Cubs: "Take Your Sweet, Sweet Time" • "Jungle Cub Love" • "Everything's Gonna Be Right with the World"
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story: "The Monkey Time"
The Jungle Book Groove Party: "The Jungle's No Place for a Boy" • "Join the Ranks" • "Go Bananas in the Coconut Tree" • "A Mood for Food" • "We Are the Vultures" • "Run" • "A Brand New Day"
Sequel: "The Jungle Rhythm" • "W-I-L-D" • "Right Where I Belong"
Deleted: "Brothers All" • "The Song of the Seeonee" • "Monkey See, Monkey Do" • "I Knew I Belonged to Her" • "In A Day's Work" • "The Mighty Hunters" • "I've Got You Beat" • "Braver"

See Also
Disney Sing Along Songs: The Bare NecessitiesTaleSpinDisney's Jungle Boogie
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