Ashwika Kapur, an internationally acclaimed wildlife documentary filmmaker, sees the power of film as an essential tool for conservation.
Born in Kolkata, Kapur made history in 2014 as the first Indian woman to win a Green Oscar for her film on the endangered Kakapo parrot. Now a director with the BBC Natural History Unit, she works globally, from Asia to New Zealand. Her impressive career spans networks like Netflix, Disney, and the BBC, alongside numerous international awards.
"You only protect and stand up for what you love," she said at India Global Forum (IGF) in London earlier this year.
For Kapur, documentaries are not merely educational; they are transformative. They allow people to fall in love with the natural world – places they may never visit and species they may never encounter. For many, it is through the lens of filmmakers like her that the beauty and fragility of our planet become real.
Kapur’s own journey into wildlife filmmaking was sparked by such documentaries. “I fell in love with nature… then I went out there and became a documentary filmmaker myself,” she recalls. Today, she is a part of a global community of storytellers, many of whom operate from Bristol, UK, the hub of wildlife filmmaking. “Ninety per cent of what you see on channels like ‘National Geographic’ and BBC is made here,” she notes, though much of the content is drawn from countries like India.
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India, Kapur emphasises, offers rich material for filmmakers, from its diverse landscapes to its abundant wildlife. The synergy between creators in the UK and stories from India creates a unique collaboration.
“India’s got everything from the Himalayas down to the Andamans. It's a very natural collaboration because we have the creators here in the UK and we've got the stories in India. There are filmmakers in India now who are very well trained to be able to tell those stories. And that partnership is a very natural partnership that exists already and is getting stronger every single day.” said Kapur,
Kapur’s experience at the IGF further reinforced her belief in the potential of such partnerships. "There’s so much ambition, so much passion," she reflects.
For her, this collaboration is a testament to the strong and authentic relationship between India and the UK, especially in the realm of natural history filmmaking.
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Wildlife documentaries, Kapur believes, are more than just films – they are a unifying force that transcends borders, cultures, and generations. “You’ll find people from all walks of life watching them,” she says, illustrating the universal appeal of these stories. Through her work, Kapur is helping to foster a deeper connection between audiences and the natural world, one film at a time.
*Info: Ashwika Kapur; India Global Forum