Nilgiris: A Shared Wilderness

A 75-minute feature documentary about India's Blue Mountains, shedding light on the region's unique biodiversity and highlighting the importance of conservation.

Client

National Geographic and Felis Films

This was a two-year filmmaking journey that I had the privilege of seeing through from the very first assembly cut to its worldwide release.

As Lead Editor, I was entrusted with shaping the film’s narrative from hundreds of hours of footage, while also joining the field crew to help film, manage, and safeguard media during expeditions across the Nilgiris.

Director Sandesh Kadur gave me remarkable creative freedom throughout the editorial process, making the collaboration creatively fulfilling.

Behind the scenes

The project was especially meaningful because my grandparents grew up in the Nilgiris, and I had spent my childhood listening to stories about this extraordinary landscape.

Being able to tell the story of a place that already felt like home was an experience I’ll always cherish. The film explores the remarkable coexistence of people and wildlife, where leopards and black panthers wander through tea estates and elephants and bears regularly cross paths with local communities. Capturing these relationships demanded more than a year and a half of filming, followed by an extensive post-production process to weave the footage into a cohesive narrative.

Once we moved into post-production, I travelled to Bristol, UK to see the finishing through to the end.

The colour grade was done at Films at 59, one of the most reputed post-production houses in the world for wildlife and documentary work. The sound design and mix were handled at Wounded Buffalo by Emmy Award-winning mixer Ben Peace. I was present throughout both.

The film went on to enjoy a successful 75-day theatrical run across India before premiering on Disney+, reaching audiences around the world.

The film received international accolades including awards from the World Film Festival in Cannes, Ankara International Wildlife Film Festival, WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, Nature Without Borders International Film Festival, and Santiago Wild Film Festival.

I represented the film at the Earth In Focus Film Festival in Singapore, where it won best film.

“Varun is a magician in the edit suite”

Sandesh Kadur

Director