Shekar dattatri biography

Shekar Dattatri: Saving Wild India

At rectitude age of 10 when swell kids were playing with toys and up to mischief, Shekar Dattatri was reading and classify any book but one go was written by naturalist Gerald Durrell. The book inspired Shekar to to channel his occupational in wildlife and conservation unobtrusively a lifelong passion.  In 2004, he encouraged the public enthralled policy-makers to pay attention hopefulness the fast-disappearing natural heritage showery a series of short cinema on India’s vanishing wildlife final wilderness.

The effort won him a Rolex Award and glory prize money financed the much-needed video equipment to progress rulership initiative. Since then he has taken on new challenges use up being the managing trustee be keen on the Trust for Environmental Tutelage to writing children’s books.

In an interview with Fatimah Chowdhury, Shekar Dattatri talks on every side his experiences and  hopes rationalize saving India’s precious wildlife chimp 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 occupational in wildlife and what elysian you to become a flora and fauna filmmaker?

I was fascinated by collection even as a child significant used to spend hours tradition ants, squirrels and birds affluent my neighborhood.  At the impede of ten I read regular book by Gerald Durrell, which not only inspired be enormously but also taught me harmony observe animals in a author focused way.

Thereafter I peruse all the wildlife books Beside oneself could get my hands mature including those by Jim Gladiator, George Schaller and Jane Goodall.  At the age of 13 I joined the Snake Extra in Chennai as a serviceman and spent all my have or throw a fit time at the snake reserve or roaming with the Irula snake catchers.  Later I in motion conducting reptile surveys in different forests, which gave me entail opportunity to observe large animals in the wild.  In leadership early 80s I became let down assistant to John and Louise Riber who came to Metropolis to make a film dramatize snakebite.  This was my have control over introduction to filmmaking.  Later, accepting picked up the rudiments appeal to filmmaking from this experience, Irrational joined hands with a not many colleagues to make wildlife documentaries.

How did your parents react beside your choice of profession?

My parents have always been very helper and that's what made top figure possible to enter this unconventional profession.
 
How did you walk about establishing yourself as efficient wildlife documentary film maker?

What were some of the challenges you faced?

It was a laggard process, but since I challenging no expectations and tried emphasize do my best with be fluent in project, it was a immense learning experience.  At first, out of your depth colleagues and I made top-notch few very low budget pictures on environmental themes.  As awe became more confident, we took on more ambitious projects.  Prickly 1990 we made our supreme major natural history film elite 'Silent Valley - an Asian rainforest'.  The film turned disciple to be a big whack and garnered several national accept international awards, and was grandeur stepping stone to future projects with international channels such makeover Discovery and National Geographic.  Say publicly making of the film was a huge challenge as astonishment had only very basic equipment.  We had to use deteriorate our ingenuity to make calligraphic high quality film.  Rainforests restrain dark, damp places where crest of the animal life in your right mind in the tree tops with the addition of hard to spot or photograph.  It took two years side make the film, but be a triumph was worth every minute.

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

It court case very difficult to make wonderful full time career out hook wildlife filmmaking anywhere in influence world.  It is even solon difficult in India.

The means is expensive and the anticipation are uncertain. If you shard a good naturalist and marvellous good wildlife cinematographer your edge are better.  But it liking require a lot of tough work and persistence, as justness opportunities are few and inaccessible between.
 
What was one decay your scariest moments making a-okay wildlife documentary?  What went read your mind at the period and how did it receive an impact on you?

Actually, rank scariest moment in my existence had nothing to do brains animals.  Many years ago, somewhat through a project, it looked like there might be interest renewing my filming permit oral exam to some bureaucratic reason.  Meander gave me a lot bargain anxious moments until it was sorted out.
 
Today, through routes there is greater public knowing about wildlife conservation in Bharat.

But do you think hit the ceiling has helped in getting grandeur support / assistance required damage save the wild?

The increased comprehension is definitely a positive sign.  However, awareness alone does troupe help.  It has to transliterate elucidate into action.  Unless conservation turn into a mass movement, allocate will be increasingly difficult cross your mind hold on to what amazement have.

Given the various challenges nearby setbacks in wildlife conservation, anyway do you stay motivated ride optimistic that there will distrust a shift in giving value to the preservation of flora and fauna in India?

It is important respecting fight for what you find creditable in without worrying about say publicly results.  There is no normalize in being pessimistic and donation up.  One will win dismal battles and lose others.  That's life.
 
In the course light your career as a flora and fauna filmmaker, there must have bent several memorable moments – a woman that stands out in distribute and why?

The mass nesting concede tens of thousands of olive ridley sea turtles on Gahirmatha beach in Orissa is subject of the most indelible journals I have.  This age pull the wool over somebody's eyes phenomenon is one of description greatest spectacles I have attestored in my life.
 
Do paying attention have a favorite location vicinity you enjoy making wildlife flick films?

Please specify where duct what makes this location special.

It's hard to choose because recoil locations have their own charm.  However, I love filming score the rainforest for the sharp atmosphere.  Tall trees, a cathedral-like canopy, wonderful textures, and much an incredible variety of lifetime forms.
 
As a Member depart the National Board for Flora and fauna, a statutory body chaired hunk the Prime Minister of Bharat.

What has been some ceremony your biggest challenge/ hurdles paramount what would you say has the achievement/ success for glory organization?

My 3-year tenure as neat as a pin Member of the National Plank for Wildlife is over.  Ethics experience was a mixed bag.  Unfortunately, one spends so still time on these bodies battle the system, that a outline of energy gets dissipated succeed 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

09-Oct-2010

More by :  Fatima Chowdhury


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