Naresh Bedi is the pioneer in the environmental documentary film making in India. He is the first Indian who won the coveted Green Oscar and now he is repeating the history along with his twin sons Ajay and Vijay Bedi for the Red Pandas, the highly endangered species of our terrains.
We the Keralites are lucky to have a face to face with this towering genius. Here are the excerpts from his interview taken as a part of the Second International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala.

Q1. Nareshji, you are the first Indian to win the prestigious Green Oscar for the film Crocodiles of the Ganga.In fact you were a pioneer of environmental documentary film-making in India. Now your twin sons grabbed it for the red Pandas. Looking back at the last 25 years, how would you evaluate the growth of environmental documentary film making in India and what do you foresee in the future?

Ans: Both are very interesting points. First, I don’t like to segregate wild life and environment. It has many folds. Because wild life is, depend on environment and environment that we are dealing, is connected to whole world. But our own channels are not interested in documentaries that deal with wildlife or environment. Because they think that, it is not generating them any money. This is not true. Discovery and animal planet like channels are progressing, surviving, improving, and expanding. They have lot of Ads and funding. The interesting thing is that the environmental programmes they showing are not directly relating to India. They are showing African wildlife, American wild life and this certainly increase people’s interest and awareness. As a result, environmental film got more exposure. I think the future in the Indian context, in the Indian wild life filmmaker’s context is a big question because of a number of reasons. There are no Indian channels for environmental documentaries films.

(Interrupting question about NDTV’s Save Tiger Campaign and CNN-IBN’S programmes) They are glamorizing this using Bollywood stars and all that. These are small and sponsored programmes. They need glamour quotient. We need regular programmes. I think the government can play an important role. They can concentrate local programmes based on local environmental issues. However, the broad casters are interested in money. National channels are not providing any slot for this genre. For making wildlife film money is not the only factor. It needs a lot of time. For example, the film Cherub of the Mist grabbed 12 major awards. At the same time, we spent a lot of time in the forest. The forest department wants twenty five thousand to thirty thousand per day. The central problem associated to Wild life filmmaking is the money. How can we afford. An Indian cannot afford.

Q2. Do you think that environmental film -making has really contributed to greater awareness of vital environmental issues in India?

Ans. I think the media and films are the best and powerful tools that pinpoint what is going on today. We cannot deny the role environment films.

Q3. How do you evaluate government support to environmental film making in India, especially in comparison with developed countries?

Ans: Private Channels are taking the initiative, not the government. I will tell you one thing, that the British government is providing three scholarships for environmental films. So, why don’t Indian Government? Developed countries are coming to India and ask Indians to make films. They have all the publicity. Then why can’t we?

Q4. Many a time your films have unraveled unknown facets of nature. For example, before Cherub of the Mist the general impression was that Red Pandas were seen only in China. Your film changed that myth. How has the scientific community taken to discoveries such as these?

Ans: We have only a small scientific community. They are interested to take the films into Canada or Europe for the masses. They have taken it very positively. When we are filming in Nepal, they are joining hands with us. They are recognizing the environmental films that unfold any particular habitat.

Q5. Can you share some Panda experience for us? Your film captured many unknown behavior patterns of Red Pandas.

Ans: Filming Red Panda is not a pre-conceived one. I am not aware of any films on Red Pandas. Only some captures of theirs from the cages in the zoos. No other single film attempts to capture them in their natural habitat. So we decided to do a film. I like challenges. And I do some thing new, not repetitive ones. When we started, we had bitter experiences. For several days or months, we can’t see any single Red Pandas. We spend six months or so for taking a single shot of a Red Panda coming out of its cage. For just clicking the button in a second or so for its coming, I had to spend two whole days from morning to night, motionless with heavy rain and all leeches in my knees, and legs. Our camera lens covered with leeches. Because we were not sure about the moment of it’s coming or when it is coming. And at one moment, I turned back. The same moment it came out quickly and disappeared inside again. Therefore, it is not easy. However, that hardship was a thrilling experience for me.

Q6: It is a generally held view that environmental documentary film-making is a time-consuming and taxing process. Could you let us know some of the intricacies of this process?

Ans: I think. I have answered this point.

Q7: What, in your view, should be the five must do actions taken up by the government, social organizations and people in general to build up greater environmental awareness?

Ans: I think NGO’s can play a greater role in this regard. There is no hazard of the red tape or bureaucrats. Public private partnership and cooperative sector can also have a role for building greater environmental awareness.

Q8: Yours is family of environmental film-makers. What is the common motivation that has attracted three generations of your family into this line?

Ans: First of all, my father Ramesh Bedi, and the natural surroundings. Secondly, a strong will power to do some thing new experiments.