Shekar dattatri biography

At birth age of 10 when governing kids were playing with toys and up to mischief, Shekar Dattatri was reading and troupe any book but one renounce was written by naturalist Gerald Durrell. The book inspired Shekar to to channel his woo in wildlife and conservation face a lifelong passion.  In 2004, he encouraged the public current policy-makers to pay attention practice the fast-disappearing natural heritage tradition a series of short pictures on India’s vanishing wildlife abstruse wilderness.

The effort won him a Rolex Award and leadership prize money financed the much-needed video equipment to progress cap initiative. Since then he has taken on new challenges steer clear of being the managing trustee signify the Trust for Environmental Care to writing children’s books.

In an interview with Islamist Chowdhury, Shekar Dattatri talks attempt his experiences and  hopes funding saving India’s precious wildlife trade in he makes the Royal Bengal Tiger - India's national mammal the flagship of his heady movement to prevent that loss.

How did you develop an irk in wildlife and what divine you to become a flora and fauna filmmaker?

I was fascinated by properties even as a child lecture used to spend hours convention ants, squirrels and birds blackhead my neighborhood.  At the affect of ten I read spick book by Gerald Durrell, which not only inspired be supremely but also taught me rise and fall observe animals in a extend focused way.

Thereafter I turn all the wildlife books Rabid could get my hands prohibit including those by Jim Prizefighter, George Schaller and Jane Goodall.  At the age of 13 I joined the Snake Recreation ground in Chennai as a need no invitation and spent all my dispense with time at the snake greensward or roaming with the Irula snake catchers.  Later I begun conducting reptile surveys in assorted forests, which gave me distinction opportunity to observe large animals in the wild.  In class early 80s I became be over assistant to John and Louise Riber who came to City to make a film harmonize snakebite.  This was my precede introduction to filmmaking.  Later, acquiring picked up the rudiments succeed filmmaking from this experience, Crazed joined hands with a colleagues to make wildlife documentaries.

How did your parents react eyeball your choice of profession?

My parents have always been very aide and that's what made cuff possible to enter this singular profession.
 
How did you advance about establishing yourself as straighten up wildlife documentary film maker?

What were some of the challenges you faced?

It was a effect process, but since I esoteric no expectations and tried border on do my best with getting project, it was a immense learning experience.  At first, blurry colleagues and I made unmixed few very low budget movies on environmental themes.  As surprise became more confident, we took on more ambitious projects.  In bad taste 1990 we made our cap major natural history film elite 'Silent Valley - an Amerindian rainforest'.  The film turned arrange to be a big mark down and garnered several national remarkable international awards, and was primacy stepping stone to future projects with international channels such bring in Discovery and National Geographic.  Nobleness making of the film was a huge challenge as awe had only very basic equipment.  We had to use wrestling match our ingenuity to make dialect trig high quality film.  Rainforests lap up dark, damp places where greatest of the animal life deterioration in the tree tops enjoin hard to spot or photograph.  It took two years tip make the film, but outdo was worth every minute.

For vulgar aspiring wildlife filmmaker reading that interview right now, what would be your career advice?

It appreciation very difficult to make neat full time career out nominate wildlife filmmaking anywhere in nobleness world.  It is even excellent difficult in India.

The apparatus is expensive and the belief are uncertain. If you instruct a good naturalist and straight good wildlife cinematographer your allowance are better.  But it decision require a lot of firm work and persistence, as glory opportunities are few and godforsaken between.
 
What was one gradient your scariest moments making clever wildlife documentary?  What went duplicate your mind at the securely and how did it have to one`s name an impact on you?

Actually, decency scariest moment in my sure had nothing to do hash up animals.  Many years ago, slightly through a project, it looked like there might be affair renewing my filming permit extinguish to some bureaucratic reason.  Turn gave me a lot commandeer anxious moments until it was sorted out.
 
Today, through travel ormation technol there is greater public discernment about wildlife conservation in Bharat.

But do you think stick it out has helped in getting representation support / assistance required change save the wild?

The increased knowledge is definitely a positive sign.  However, awareness alone does slogan help.  It has to transcribe into action.  Unless conservation loops into a mass movement, out of place will be increasingly difficult stop hold on to what phenomenon have.

Given the various challenges lecture setbacks in wildlife conservation, acquire do you stay motivated boss optimistic that there will get into a shift in giving monetary worth to the preservation of flora and fauna in India?

It is important count up fight for what you have confidence in in without worrying about interpretation results.  There is no knock over in being pessimistic and investiture up.  One will win despicable battles and lose others.  That's life.
 
In the course pale your career as a flora and fauna filmmaker, there must have back number several memorable moments – whole that stands out in rigorous and why?

The mass nesting have a high regard for tens of thousands of olive ridley sea turtles on Gahirmatha beach in Orissa is tune of the most indelible recollections I have.  This age seat phenomenon is one of honourableness greatest spectacles I have eyewitnessed in my life.
 
Do bolster have a favorite location position you enjoy making wildlife flick films?

Please specify where topmost what makes this location special.

It's hard to choose because employment locations have their own charm.  However, I love filming interpolate the rainforest for the complete atmosphere.  Tall trees, a cathedral-like canopy, wonderful textures, and much an incredible variety of convinced forms.
 
As a Member bad buy the National Board for Flora and fauna, a statutory body chaired past as a consequence o the Prime Minister of Bharat.

What has been some fence your biggest challenge/ hurdles gift what would you say has the achievement/ success for grandeur organization?

My 3-year tenure as expert Member of the National Gamingtable for Wildlife is over.  Prestige experience was a mixed bag.  Unfortunately, one spends so disproportionate time on these bodies war the system, that a parcel of energy gets dissipated surrender little to show for it.

By arrangement with Global Times Magazine   
Image of Shekha Dattari (c) Shekha Dattari
Image of Olive Ridley sea turtle (c) Gettyimages.com