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Amoghavarsha JS
Amoghavarsha JS is an Indian filmmaker, wildlife photographer, and conservationist, best known for his films “Wild Karnataka”, India's first blue-chip natural history movie,[1] and “Gandhada Gudi”, a docudrama featuring the late Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar. "Wild Karnataka" received two awards at the 67th National Film Awards for its exploration of Karnataka's biodiversity.[2] In addition to filmmaking, Amoghavarsha has worked on other creative projects, including as the art director for the album Divine Tides by Ricky Kej and Stewart Copeland which received two Grammy Awards.[3] Early lifeAmoghavarsha JS was born in Bengaluru, India. He completed a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and worked as a software engineer at Amazon. During this time, he developed an interest in wildlife photography, frequently visiting jungles near Bengaluru.[4] After two years at Amazon, he joined the start-up Asklaila as its first employee, but soon transitioned to a part-time programming role to pursue photography full-time.[4] CareerPhotographyAmoghavarsha photography career began with frequent trips to the Western Ghats[4] which played a pivotal role in his growth within the field.[5] He served as a photo ambassador for Pixetra, a camera store in Bengaluru, and conducted photography workshops in locations such as Thekkady, Bhadra, and Bannerghatta forest.[4] Additionally, Amoghavarsha worked part-time at Felis Creations, a wildlife photography and documentary production company founded by Sandesh Kadur.[4] In 2020, Amoghavarsha was appointed as an expert judge for the Sony BBC Earth photography contest, Earth in Focus, where he also conducted a masterclass on "The Art of Storytelling Through Photography."[6] FilmsAmoghavarsha transitioned to filmmaking with a focus on wildlife and environmental documentaries. One of his earlier movies was “Kali”, which highlighted the ecological significance of the Kali River. It is credited[7] with raising awareness that led to the renaming of the Dandeli Anshi Tiger Reserve to the Kali Tiger Reserve in 2015.[7] That same year, Amoghavarsha directed Shanti Samsara, a musical project composed by Ricky Kej.[8] It was presented at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris[8][9] and was officially launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President François Hollande during an event for the International Solar Alliance (ISA).[9] Shanti Samsara features Sanskrit verses, along with spoken word contributions from notable figures such as Amitabh Bachchan, Frances Fisher, and Rosanna Arquette.[9] The project also incorporates visuals from Amoghavarsha's earlier film Kali.[8] In 2021, Amoghavarsha co-directed the film Wild Karnataka with Kalyan Varma. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the film won the awards for Best Exploration/Adventure Film and Best Narration/Voice Over at the 67th National Film Awards.[2] The song "Mother Earth" from the album Divine Tides by Ricky Kej and Stewart Copeland, was originally composed for Wild Karnataka.[10] Amoghavarsha also worked as the art director for Divine Tides, which won two Grammy Awards at the 64th and 65th Annual Grammy Awards.[11] Amoghavarsha's 2022 film, Gandhada Gudi, with the late Dr.Puneeth Rajkumar, is a tribute to Karnataka's biodiversity and to the 1973 film of the same name which had Puneeth Rajkumar’s father, Dr.Rajkumar as the lead. Released on October 28, 2022, a day before Puneeth Rajkumar’s first death anniversary, the docu-drama was shown on around 250-300 screens in the state of Karnataka[12] and was also screened internationally in the United States, United Arab Emirates, and Singapore.[12] In 2023, Amoghavarsha’s company Mudskipper Labs partnered with the Museum of Solutions (MuSo) in Mumbai to create Homecoming - The Adventure of a Green Sea Turtle.[29] The underwater film, narrated by Jackie Shroff and Dia Mirza, highlights the challenges faced by sea turtles due to plastic pollution in the ocean. The film is a permanent exhibition at MuSo, a children’s museum that was featured on TIME Magazine’s list of the world’s greatest places in 2024.[13] The film was screened at the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) in June 2024[14] and was also the runner-up for the Wildlife Conservation Documentary Award of the Year 2024 by TOFTigers.[15] ConservationAmoghavarsha has been an active conservationist, integrating his work as a photographer and filmmaker with environmental advocacy. He has led numerous expeditions[16] and workshops, particularly in the Western Ghats. He has collaborated with the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS) on projects related to King Cobra telemetry studies and other field research.[17] He has also worked with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on initiatives such as Science Express – Biodiversity Special which aimed to raise awareness about India’s biodiversity. Additionally, he has partnered with the Center for Environment Education (CEE) to establish interpretation centres to further environmental education. In 2022, after Gandhada Gudi completed a 100 day run in theatres,[18] a park in Bengaluru was renamed ‘Gandhada Gudi’ to commemorate both Rajkumar's legacy and the film's contribution to environmental awareness.[18] Filming projects
Awards and Recognitions
References
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