Film-maker Sandesh Kadur talks of his tryst with nature and wildlife

Avid photographer and wildlife documentary film-maker Sandesh Kadur talks of his tryst with nature and wildlife…

The realisation
The journey towards wildlife started during my childhood years. My father is a photographer and I remember holding the camera when I was 13 years old. I’ve always loved nature and the outdoors — be it travelling or visiting places. But, what gave me immense satisfaction was capturing the beautiful moments I’ve seen. I would rather say that nature, wildlife, bird watching and plants were always my passion. This in turn lead to photography and film-making.

I used set out with my camera during the weekends for shoots. After school, I went to the US to pursue my degree in wildlife biology. My three- month summer project on mountains of the monsoon became a three-year obsession. That’s when it all started.

Reminiscences
During our shoot for  the project, we came to India and visited places like Ernakulum and parts of Karnataka as well. It was quite a big journey and every experience we encountered was memorable. Travelling in the wild, spending weeks on the highest mountain of Kerala in wilderness are some of those moments. But, one of those memories I still cherish was during a full moon night, where we were sitting on a tree by a water hole when a leopard walked just below our dangling feet in that lovely dappled moonlight shadow.

Road-blocks and support
You will face challenges in every field. But, it’s in every individual’s hand to deal with it. If you look at it as a problem, you will never be able to sort it out. Instead, take it with ease and see what best can be made out of the situation. But, I must thank my professors in the US who supported me and believed that I could do this project. Without them I wouldn’t have come so far.

Words of advice
My journey so far as a wildlife film-maker and photographer has been wonderful. Earlier, it was never considered as a safe profession. But now, I am glad to see youngsters getting into this segment. If I have to give one advice, I would tell them to follow the 3 Ps — passion, perseverance and patience. That’s all it takes to achieve your dream.

 — As told to Sharanya C R