Biranyi (misspelled as Baranyi in the closed captions) is a character who was featured in the 1998 Disney direct-to-video film, The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story.
Background
Personality
Biranyi is an elderly wolf who is the oldest member of the Seeonee Pack in the jungle. Serving as the elder of the pack, he is shown to traditionally address the wolves during a group meeting with the wolves, especially when it comes to hunting lessons in hunting for deer in the jungle. Due to his age, Biranyi was unable to address his group and instead directs Mowgli instead to take the Hunter's Oath alongside Li'l Raksha. In addition to his age, Biranyi dislikes whenever he gets a stick on his paw, which causes pain to occur as well as being harassed by rude animals - such as the case of two baboons harassing him. However, when Mowgli stood up against the baboons, he even praised him for taking care of the baboons harassing him and when Mowgli removed the stick from his paw, Biranyi also thanked Mowgli for healing, albeit his paw still slowly healing.
Role in the film
Biranyi is first seen being harassed by a duo of mischievous baboons with the former himself being injured with a stick on his paw, telling them that they will face the consequences the more they keep harassing the wolf. Mowgli approaches the baboons harassing him with rude comments, confronting the baboons, followed by Raksha furiously telling them to stop harassing him immediately, scaring away the baboons as the two of them retreat. Having taken care of the baboons, Raksha approaches Biranyi who sees a stick on his paw where he feels pain on it, which Mowgli takes it off. Raksha then praises Mowgli for doing a good deed in helping remove the stick from Biranyi's paw just as the latter thanks him for a job well done. Later, Mowgli recaps of his success in helping Biranyi as the way of all the jungle animals looking after each other.
Later, Biranyi appears attending a pack meeting where Li'l Raksha is accepted to join the hunt while Akela announces that it is a tradition for Biranyi to address the wolf pack about the hunt, telling him that he will address the wolves. Biranyi replies to him that he is uncomfortable of doing this even with old age, explaining that he is too old to hunt, telling him that his paw is still not healed, even after Mowgli removed the stick in his paw, discussing with him that Mowgli is the one to be his replacement and the latter has more courage in him to address the wolves so that he can honored with him when hunting, which Mowgli and Li'l Raksha plan to take the Hunter's Oath only for the meeting to be interrupted with Shere Khan approaching the wolves. He makes no further appearances after that.
Trivia
- Biranyi was created exclusively for the 1998 Disney adaptation of The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story and has no original counterpart in the original 1967 film nor does he appear in Rudyard Kipling's original book.
- His name is derived from "Biryani", a rice dish which originates from Indian cuisine.
