July 28, 2020, is the World Conservation Day. On this occasion filmmaker Amoghavarsha JS who is most well-known for the blue-chip natural history movie, Wild Karnataka will be in conversation with actor Randeep Hooda.
The duo will be going live on the Sony BBC Earth's Instagram page and will share their views on conservation and sustainability. "The discussion will be about the combined responsibility of humans towards nature and our planet," says Amoghavarsha, adding, "Urban educated people have access to information about conservation but we need to bring awareness at every single step and we need to reach people from different walks of life. Many people don't know that we have a huge population of tigers and elephants so we will be speaking about that." The filmmaker also says localising content by dubbing nature films in regional languages and screening wildlife documentaries at places where there is no internet is one way to reach out to more people. "We will also discuss how conservation needs to become more mainstream and how can the media help us further," he says.
The filmmaker's latest film Wild Karnataka received a tremendous response. Even the fact that it was narrated by the legendary conservationist and filmmaker Sir David Attenborough, added to its popularity. It was released across PVR screens and completed 50 days in the theatres. Sharing more about his experience of working with Sir David, Amoghavarsha says, "He is witty, jovial, and very approachable. He liked our film and that's why he agreed to voice the narration. I remember, his most favourite sequence was the peacock dancing in Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary. He was glad he saw a peacock dance in its own habitat and not amidst urban surroundings."
Going forward, the filmmaker will be making a short film on monsoons in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, but before that he is excited to be part of the World Conservation Day Live. When asked, what's his biggest learning from nature, Amoghavarsha reminisces, "What's stayed with me is how the underdog wins in nature. When we were filming Wild Karnataka, we witnessed a Sambar deer chase away a pack of wild dogs and at another place, otters chased tigers away. Both times we were totally surprised!"
Tune in to the live session on July 28, 6.30 pm. On Sony BBC Earth's Instagram page