With insatiable curiosity and acute powers of observation, Prerna Singh Bindra embarks on a journey through the vast canvas of India's forests, on the trail of its beautiful and endangered big cats. She begins her pilgrimage in the holy city of Rudraprayag where the legendary Jim Corbett shot a man-eating tiger, treks the snowy Himalayas in search of the elusive snow leopard, walks through the dry forest of Gir, the last abode of the Asiatic lion, searches the sterile forest of Sariska for tigers and visits the Sundarbans, home to myth and man-eating tigers.

The King and I takes on special significance in today's times. The Royal Bengal Tiger is facing its worst ever crisis. Less than 2000 tigers are left in the Indian wild. Lions number fewer than 350. The fate of the snow-leopard is unknown. At least one leopard is killed every day. A celebration of India's big cats, a warning about their future, a lamentation for their passing, The King and I embodies the hope that, despite all odds, these beautiful creatures will continue to rule the wild forever.