Exclusive: Watch Neel Sethi's karate-filled audition for Mowgli in 'Jungle Book'

Neel Sethi wasn't just handed the part of Mowgli in Disney's live-action The Jungle Book, he had to fight for it.

Or at least give a few lethal karate kicks.

As this exclusive look at his Jungle Book audition tape shows, Sethi displayed action moves for his audition tape aimed at director Jon Favreau. Sethi needed to impress. The complete unknown was 10-years-old when he tried out, and Favreau was conducting an international search of 2,000 wannabes.

Sethi comes from a Indian-American family of dentists on Manhattan's Upper East side and was not exactly high on the Hollywood radar.  He heard about the Jungle Book audition through a dance teacher who encouraged him to go.

The audition tape of Sethi karate kicking (He's a red belt people!) would strike fear in dreaded Jungle Book foe Shere Khan's heart. Sethi don't need no stinkin' stunt double.

And his acting wake-up moment with the line, "How did I get here?" smells like future Oscar material.

Oh, and let's face it, Sehti's just a really cute kid.

Human Mowgli is at the heart of 'Jungle Book'

"The first time I saw an audition that he did, I just liked watching him," Favreau says in the clip.

Yah, Sethi got the offer and took the part. And The Jungle Book scored $935 million in worldwide box office while scoring critical plaudits. So Favreau must have been right about that kid's winning personality.

The full audition clip, other bonuses and the whole Jungle Book movie will be available on Digital HD, Disney Movies Anywhere, iTunes and Amazon digital on August 23 (on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and On-Demand on August 30).