14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
A 'tail' of the wild: Philanthropist Rohini Nilekani on her debut documentary
A story of passion unfolded in the verdant hills of the Nilgiris a couple of years ago. Bankrolled by philanthropist Rohini Nilekani and helmed by Sandesh Kadur, Nilgiris - A Shared Wilderness – a documentary, was born, aimed at creating awareness of its unique biodiversity. The journey has garnered several accolades, including the Stories of Nature Award at the Santiago Film Festival and the Platinum Remi Award for documentary feature at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival. The film will release in 11 cities, including Bengaluru on July 18.
'For me, the film should make people realise that there are stories about India's biodiversity that needs to be told and for this we need a lot of philanthropists to come forward,' Nilekani emphasises, reflecting on the recognition, adding, 'India's biodiversity is its strategic advantage of us to be resilient.'
Through the documentary, she hopes to inspire a new generation to become trustees of India's ecosystems. 'When people see the intricate beauty, the interconnected web of life shown in the documentary – how the smallest and the biggest creatures are tied together in this web, it inspires people to understand, and then they begin to explore. Your mind and heart get involved as you begin to understand, love and appreciate. And from there, you begin to nurture, protect and enhance. So it's a journey we want people to get onto so that young minds can become trustees of our impossible-to-replicate heritage in the future.'
