Breaking Free | Wildlife Filmmaking in India
When your passion becomes all consuming, the writing on the wall is inevitable. If you have put on several thousand hours towards your passion, and are still continuing with it, then you realise that it is not a passing fad and is going to stay with you for your life. Now it is upto you to read the writing on the wall and intensify your efforts or give it a quiet burial. Else, there comes a situation in your life when both cant coexist. After a point of time, despite all your efforts, if you need to do justice to both, then there would simply be no time.
I knew that I am moving deeper and deeper into a one way street which is leading me towards wildlife conservation and filming. Today for me that time has come to follow my dream. YES. I have walked away from corporate life. I have quit MAIT as its Executive Director.I have donned a new cap of “IndiaWilds“.
However, this was not an impromptu decision. It was the major outcome of my intensive coaching sessions with my personal coach a year and half ago. I knew that it would be sooner rather than later. Still, there is always one part of you, which wants status-quo – to hold on to the present – as that means you can remain within your comfort zone. When I was featured in the OConnor world wide press release in January 2012, I was happy. When I got the prize from Maharashtra Government, I knew this was the first trigger. When my film A Call in the Rainforest got nominated for Wildlife Vaasa Festival, Finland, I decided that this is the time. I felt this moment would not come again, if I remained in a job that demanded so much of my time. It is now or never situation.
And I walked.
I will now devote myself full time into Wildlife Conservation and Filming.
At times in office, the pain of not devoting more time towards my passion of wildlife filming and conservation was unbearable. And I seriously used to hate those moments when journalists used to thrust a DSLR to interview me. When a team from Germany doing a corporate film interviewed me, I knew I had much better equipment. I was wearing a pin-strip suit and knew that there will be moire in the film. I was more concerned about that than what I was to speak. 🙂 Fortunately, I will not have to undergo that feeling anymore.
If I would not have done that, then I would have had a big regret in my life.
One of my industry colleague asked me if I am prepared. Yes. Over a period of time, I have assiduously built up my equipment to cater to the entire film production range and had chosen only the best equipment, whether it is OConnor Fluid Head or Sachtler ENG tripod, Sound Devices 702T recorder or Sennheiser MKH 416 microphone or the many canon lenses etc. Invested in Canon Cinema cameras plus there are many other supporting equipment, rigs, sliders etc that are on order. I will reveal those one at a time to tickle you taste buds. 🙂
Now is the time to plan projects, independently as well as in a collaborative mode. I have a couple of ideas and plan to start shooting on one in December. I am fleshing out all the details of the coming projects.
One of the projects is on elephants titled “A God in Distress“.
Update: Since many continue to ask me, I am updating this post.
I have started a film production company called “Wild Tiger Productions”. Apart from wildlife projects, I have also been taking up other documentaries, corporate and commercial projects and working on a script for a feature film. With Canon Cinema camera and various equipment, Wild Tiger Productions is ready to take on any projects. The entire list of equipment can be seen here: http://www.indiawilds.com/about.htm
I also shoot freelance for various international broadcasters and production houses, corporates for a variety of genres. I have shot for HBO Real Sports USA for womens athletics and on Dutee Chand. The story on Dutee Chand, who was banned for hyperandrogenism and this year qualified for Rio 2016 Olympics can be found here: http://www.indiawilds.com/diary/dutee-chand-on-and-off-the-field/
I have completed a documentary for Maharashtra Forest Department titled “Jewels of Thane Creek” which was funded by the Indo-German biodiversity Project on Coastal and Marine Protected Area. The full film can be seen in youtube link below : https://youtu.be/qHLXDXF3KgU
Recently I have completed a documentary on the Rann of Kutch titled “Discovering Rann“. It is a 26 mins documentary and the full film can be seen in this link: https://youtu.be/s0tIiYpFIpg
Our ambitious project on leopards is now under editing. We have covered Rajasthan, Assam, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha. However, the pan-India scale of this project has resulted in inevitable delays as well as massive cost escalation. While working on this project, I am also trying to raise funds. Since this is a labour of love, I will only release the film when I am fully satisfied.
Meanwhile, if anyone of you have any interesting concepts then I would love to hear. Shoot your ideas, how so ever wild those might be. I am all ears :). And please share in your networks to help people realise how beautiful and ecologically rich India is.
- GoPro Hero 12 Black - 6 September,2023
- Leopards: The Last Stand - 2 July,2023
- Drifting in the Waters of Sundarbans - 26 March,2023
Congratulations and all the best for your new endeavor.
Charting your own path can be a little lonely and risky and yet there are no real alternatives to it. Feeling regret that you did not try is not a real option, is it? So best of luck for a joyful journey 🙂
I absolutely agree with it. It is not easy and is lonely. So it is important to build the team and move forward. The challenge in this creative field is that no one will understand what you are doing. So one needs to really be sure about it.
Congrats on hugging your passion.
Best wishes too.
One needs a certain degree of guts to do what you’ve done.
good for you Saby, you have the chance to follow your heart- not many of us get this — all the best-
Thanks Chitrita!
I wanted to do it for a long time. If I would not have done then I would have had a big regret in my life.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
Hearty congrats Sabya:) and here’s wishing you joy and satisfaction on this daring journey!
Thanks Amit,
I am actually relieved after taking this step. The first time my coach had broached this subject, I had replied that I am not ready yet though I had been taking steps that added or lead me towards my dream. Today, I am happy that I am starting on a journey that I had dreamt for a long long time.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
All the best sir.
I absolutely agree with the opening paragraph. It was on another level for creative people. Also, just wanted to say, it is for people like you, the word ‘Passion’ is coined ( Kind of emotions yours story evoked.)
All the best for your future endeavor. May you excel and set new records!
Hi Saru,
Thanks. It is not easy the last few years. I have tried as much as possible to focus. So there is hardly any socialising that I do after office hours. I have tried as much as possible to be immersed in my work. It is true that I am passionate and I have never hidden it. Even during an interview in 1995 for my entry into an advertising institute they had specifically grilled as to why I am passionate and if I am ready to sacrifice things for my passion. I had said that if I find that my passion is elsewhere, then I will walk away from my MBA training. It is a different matter that they got annoyed and didn’t choose me and I joined XIMB for my MBA.
This is kind of treated as a double edged sword. When I am successful according to the definitions of society – they will talk about my passion. And if people feel that I didn’t achieve the success they imagine I should have attained, then they will talk that I am an idealist fool. 😀
Documenting all the wilderness areas and saving those will take more than several life times. And I only have one life to live. So I want to live it the way I want to.
Thanks for all your support.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
Hello mam I Mohmmad yaqoob baba from Kashmir I have 20 year experience of wildlife phot and video need a help to make film to wildlife of Kashmir and Ladakh
You’re competent and passionate and very well prepared. You’ll do great. Congrats.
Shovon,
Thanks for your encouraging words. I will give this my best shot.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
Good on you Sabyasachi! Best wishes in your new endeavour!!
Thanks a lot. I am treasuring all these wishes. It will motivate me to push even harder.
Wishing you all the best 🙂
Ashwini,
Thanks a lot for your wishes.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
Sabyasachi, that is great. I know how difficult it is to leave behind a cozy and set path and to do something unconventional. You have a passion for this,and I am sure you will make a success of it. All the best for wildllife conservation and photography and a new life!
Thanks Rachna!
I have been thinking and dreaming about it since 2002.The higher up I was climbing in the corporate ladder, the more difficult it was becoming. So consciously I had started whittling down the bane of our materialistic life – EMIs – and increased the investments in equipment. Else, I could never have taken this step. Some of my industry colleagues are too shocked to even speak with me due to this decision. Today I am at peace with myself and extremely happy that I could take this decision. Thanks a ton for your wishes.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
Yes, I can understand!!!….I am reaching those period of my life wherein I am getting more joy and satisfaction doing writing and photography…though I cannot claim to be as good a photographer!!…
Sir its a very brave decision that you have taken would love to do the same and also not to forget the video is just WOW!!! loved it to the core.
You have done a great job of producing high quality content to the world. I am not an expert on wildlife or film making so I cannot make an intelligent comment but judging by your passion, you are doing a great job.
Thanks Shalu!
We have only one life. Life is all about change – a change for the better. It doesn’t matter that whatever we have done in the past is worldclass or slightly less or more. What matters is how good will be our tomorrow. I must admit that there are many areas where I am trying to improve and to create many more layers in my films. Its an endless quest towards perfection, if at all there is anything called perfection. I am happy to now devote more time for my passion.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
It is always an emotionally fulfilling experience when we choose to follow our dreams! 🙂 All the best !
Deepz,
Thanks a lot. Need all your best wishes to succeed. 🙂
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
Love the new look. All the best!
Hello sir.
This is Sanjeev from Karnataka.
I read your article.
sir I want to become a wildlife filmmaker.
but before that I want to work as a field assistant with wildlife film maker.
I have my own experience but its not enough for me.
my mail ID – srk.858@gmail.com
My number – +919036401283
Sanjeev,
I take assistants for projects after becoming familiar with them in the indiawilds forum. For me it is very important to know the strengths of people so that I can use them accordingly. I shoot all over India and prefer to take people close to their location so that they are familiar with the place and can be of help to me. Keep in touch through the forums and I will get back to you when there is a suitable opportunity.
Sabyasachi
Sir ,I am from Karnataka, resident of the village near byBandipur tiger Reserve , why most of the film on northern India, why south India neglected
Good to know that you stay near Bandipur. I have been there many times and I like the place a lot. I don’t have any preference of shooting in North India, South India or have any bias. I am just picking up topics as it comes. Wildlife filming has got a lot to do with permissions to shoot in places, funding etc as well as interesting topics. These days shooting in established Premier tiger reserves means paying a lot of money to the forest department as per day charges along with lot of restrictions.
Hopefully, I can pick up project something soon in Karnataka as I have had some of my most memorable experiences in the forests of Karnataka.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
hi sir,
this is shuvo deep
I live in Kolkata from India
I read your article and I love ur thought.
I want to become a wildlife filmmaker.
I have 4 years experience as a freelancer but it’s not enough for me.
I m not a good one but yes I want to create a good story…..like ur work..
my email..shuvodeep.mondal20@gmail.com
my no….8777727090/(7688082294whats app)
SIR,
It is very inspiring reading about your life story.
Right now we require your experience and expertise as we have to make documentary film’s on The Forests of India.We need your help and experience for making the documentary.Please let us know how can we meet and discuss about it further.
Regards,
Anuraag Talpade
9930730324
You can send me details at My whatsapp no is 9910900446
Respected sir, you inspired lot of aspirants and new comers. i also do wildlife photography near above my region at Pench Reserve but have not any technical skill neither well equipped regarding wildlife photography. now i want to furnish my work and seeking help for technical knowledge and skill, want to make documentary in the future. sir please tell how to get help, or are you conduct any workshop or offer any one of the mode to get help regarding wildlife photography, cinematography training. thank you
Shashikant Behar from Kamptee dist. Nagpur Maharashtra
Email shashibehar@gmail.com
whatsapp num 7385521873
sir please clarify, What is Photography Script that i need for filling on-line form of forest department for wildlife photography and also how to titled your project if they are individual still photography in the wild please answer
sir i am the student of college forestry in karnataka. is there any professional course in the wildlife cinematography/
There are no specific courses though there are filmmaking courses offered by various institutes. Wildlife filmmaking is a very niche area. So institutes don’t have that expertise. These were the words of a head of institute where I spoke recently. The best course of action is to take workshops.