PM Modi's birthday: A throwback to his 'first vacation in 18 years' with Bear Grylls' on Man vs Wild

You hear Bear Grylls, and you can instantly picture British adventurer Edward Michael "Bear" Grylls doing just about anything to survive in the wild. But Narendra Modi? He doesn't exactly come to mind, which is why the Prime Minister's decision to appear on Man vs. Wild in 2019 grabbed everyone's attention. The huge hype surrounding the Discovery show translated into record-breaking numbers as the special episode, which aired on August 12, achieved the highest-ever ratings in the infotainment genre, propelling Discovery Channel (with 3.05 million impressions) to the No. 3 position for the week.

Unlike most other Man vs Wild episodes, the Modi episode wasn't about extreme survival stunts. Instead, it focused on environmental conservation, wildlife protection, and the importance of preserving nature.?

Throughout the episode, Modi also shared stories from his younger days, including how he grew up near nature and his early years of living in a low-resource environment.

As Modi turns 74, here's a lookback at the memorable moments of how the man survived the wild in Uttarakhand's Jim Corbett National Park - and all that he shared:

Modi's stance on survival

Bear Grylls crafted a makeshift spear to protect "the most important man in India." When he handed it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the PM politely responded, "Bear, my beliefs don't allow me to kill. But for your safety,? I'll keep it with me." He also added, "God takes care of everyone. Leave it to God, and you will never face any problem."

Modi on facing nature without fear

Bear Grylls mentioned that people often feel afraid in tough situations.?

In response, Modi said, "You should never be afraid of nature. You cannot be afraid of nature because when we think we are in conflict with nature is when the problem starts." Modi also added that he has never felt fear, saying, "I have never experienced fear because my inbuilt temperament is very positive."

Its Modi in the water

A standout moment came when Bear Grylls built a simple raft from a log to assist the Prime Minister in crossing a river. In a video shared on X, Grylls and PM Narendra Modi are seen calmly floating on the raft, chatting as they navigate the water. Modi, dressed in his traditional Indian attire with a jacket, handled the challenge with ease, remaining calm and composed throughout.

Toilet humour at it's finest

As Bear Grylls and Modi traversed the forest, there was an interesting moment when Grylls picked up a piece of elephant dung from the ground? and explained its potential uses in survival situations.

Grylls explained that it can be squeezed to extract water, sharing that once in Africa (Man Vs Wild 2007), he did just that and drank the juice from the elephant dung.

As he shares the story - Modi's laugh added a rare glimpse of his lighter side—something viewers don't often get to see.

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