THE WILDLIFE FILMS OF NARESH BEDI

[Guest guest]

*http://www.indiadaily.com/breaking_news/52500.asp*

**

*Wildlife films not for money: Bedi*

Nov. 30, 2005

 

 

 

 

Filmmaker Naresh Bedi was recently conferred the Prithvi Ratna (Jewel of the

Earth) Award, instituted by the Centre for Media Studies and United Nations

Environment Programme, at the recently held Vatavaran Film Festival 2005,

for his extraordinary contribution to filmmaking on India's wildlife and

natural history. He is also the first Asian to have won the 'Panda' or the

'Green Oscar' as Best Wildlife Cameraman at the world's most coveted

Wildlife and Television Festival, Wildscreen 1984. Today Naresh Bedi is an

established name among the wild life film makers across the globe. Meet the

king of the jungle in conversation with Sudeshna B Baruah...What ignited

your interest in wildlife filmmaking? My father, Dr Ramesh Bedi, had a great

role to play in igniting interest in wild life. A doctor by profession, he

was a keen observer of wild life too. During my stay at Hardwar, as a child,

our family often used to go on picnics. And my father would carry me and my

brother Rajesh on his shoulders to make us see wild elephants. My tryst with

the wild life thus began at the age of around 6-7. Besides, the sylvan

surroundings in which our house was located made it a favourite haunt for

many animals. So it was not an unusual sight to take a glimpse of elephants

in our backyard itself. All these things, triggered in me the

inquisitiveness to explore the world of wild animals. How important are

these films in raising awareness about wild life issues? Do you think enough

is done to take them to the masses? Yes, they can go a long way in raising

consciousness about wild life issues. But they have to find a platform. The

onus of taking them to the masses does not lie on the filmmaker alone.

Media, indeed, has a major role to play in this regard. And the coverage

that wild life gets across different TV channels is minimal, one per cent

only. Even the most accessible national channel, Doordarshan, has a tendency

of dragging its feet on broadcasting these films, despite the availability

of videos. Given that these films do not have a great lucrative value, even

distributors do not show much interest in them. Somebody has to take up the

cudgel in making them accessible to the masses. As a film maker what have

been your efforts in taking these films to the masses? The involvement of my

sons in the wild life ventures have really been of great help. It is their

effort to have brought out CD's and VCD's. Bedi films have distributed them

in many schools in interior Kolkata. We would expedite such moves to make

them accessible among different sections of the society. How do you see the

Indian market for wild life films vis-a-vis the western market? The western

market is huge for wild life documentaries films. They even have TV channels

dedicated to animals. But India is yet to grow in terms of such films. I

would say the market is zero in India. Going to the untrodden depths of

earth must be risky? How do you overcome them? Risks are many. It is not

very easy to do research on animal movements. You have to forego your

lunches and dinners in the wildness of jungles. (Chuckles) Well, if you have

the passion for wild life and your story, you do not care whatever might

come your way. I would cite a recent episode of our wild life voyage. We

were out on a shooting at Sariska in Rajasthan. It was a project on the

receding number of tigers in this area. And would you believe we started at

7 am and packed up at 7 pm of the same day. We had to stay empty stomach for

that 12 hours. You have been credited with making some of the best

documentaries on wildlife. Which would you rate as your best till now and

why? I would rate The Ganges Gharial as the film closest to my heart. It had

bagged an award at the International Wildlife and Television Festival,

'Wildscreen 1984'. It took us a research of five years to portray for the

first time the full life cycle of this unique fish-eating crocodilian. The

thrilling adventure of five years makes it the film my heart loves dearly.

Is professional qualification essential to take up wild life film making?

Yes. One has to be trained in the technical aspects of wild life film

making. My training period at the Film and Television Institute of India,

helped me learn the nuances of capturing the predators and the prey on

camera, besides scripting for wild life documentaries. Hence, one has to

have professional training in the area. Your advice to the budding talents

in this area. Wild life filmmaking is indeed a good profession to pursue.

But one has to be driven by passion. But if someone has money on mind, then

I would rather suggest not taking up this profession.