Wild Truths in a Changing World

In our latest podcast episode, Kalyan Varma discusses how we keep nature’s stories honest, relevant, and deeply human in an age of shrinking wilderness and digital spectacle

(Image courtesy JLR Explore)

First up, this from our new home in Kochi. More specifically, from a study that is pure chaos, with heaps of book crates needing to be unpacked, sorted, and put away in shelves — which also need to be unpacked :-( Be a week or so before we can claim to be “settled” — which reminds me, how on earth did we manage to shift about eight apartments before there was Blinkit and Zomato? Anyway…

The next episode of our environmental podcast, From The Marginlands, dropped last night. (My net connection here just got set up an hour ago, hence the delay in posting this). But to get to the point:

Award-winning photographer/filmmaker and long-time friend Kalyan Varma joins Arati Kumar-Rao and me for a wide-ranging episode of “From The Marginlands.”

We unravel the art, ethics, and evolution of documenting wildlife, wrestle with the implications of AI-driven imagery and the very purpose of nature storytelling in today’s world.

What keeps these stories vital amid shifting technologies, shrinking wilderness, and changing cultural perspectives? From navigating permissions and practical hurdles to exploring the deeper meaning of witness versus spectacle, this episode invites listeners to rethink how—and why—we tell stories of the wild.

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00:00 — Introduction & The Guest
Where we introduce Kalyan Varma and offer a glimpse into his journey from software engineering to wilderness storytelling. The conversation opens with a discussion of Kalyan’s creative philosophy and the ethos behind his work.

03:00 — Origins of Peepli.org and Environmental Reporting
We reflect on our collaboration at Peepli.org, the gaps in Indian environmental reporting, and the serendipitous process that led to deeper, more nuanced storytelling about nature.

07:00 — From Tech to Wilderness: Kalyan’s Leap
Kalyan shares the story of his transition from Yahoo engineer and open-source activist to full-time wildlife photographer, describing how a passion for nature gradually overtook his love of code.

11:10 — Balancing Roles: Explorer, Filmmaker, Naturalist
A discussion of the many hats Kalyan wears—naturalist, explorer, filmmaker—and why the joy of deep exploration, not just documentation, inspires everything he does.

16:07 — Wild Karnataka & The Frustrations of the Western Gaze
We discuss the impetus behind the Wild Karnataka documentary. Kalyan talks candidly about pushing back against tired colonial tropes and the need to reclaim India’s narrative in wildlife films.

22:50 — Who Funds, and Who Sees the Story?
We break down funding struggles, the evolving distribution landscape, and how streaming and social media have transformed access to documentary storytelling.

27:14 — Changing Topics in Wildlife Storytelling
Kalyan explores the slow shift away from familiar “big animal” stories and climate clichés, as well as the persistent difficulties in bringing highly local and uncomfortable environmental stories to the mainstream.

33:40 — Culture, Sangam Poetry & Ecological Narrative in Wild Tamil Nadu
In this section, a look inside the creative mechanics of Wild Tamil Nadu: Kalyan draws inspiration from ancient Sangam poetry to connect landscape, water, and community, weaving old and new threads into an ecological arc.

40:50 — Love vs. Advocacy: The Dual Pulse of Conservation Films
How films must strive to make audiences fall in love with nature before tackling hard-hitting conservation issues, and why hope—not just sober facts—is key to impact.

46:15 — Craft & Teamwork: The Making of a Wildlife Documentary
Kalyan lifts the curtain on the production process: obtaining permissions, working with massive teams, navigating technical innovations, and why storytelling always trumps pure spectacle.

52:40 — Technology, AI, and the Future of Visual Truth
A candid debate about the promise and peril of new technologies in wildlife filmmaking, from drones to AI-generated visuals, and the need for transparency and authenticity.

59:00 — Storytelling, Impact, and Policy Shifts
Stories that move the needle: from elephant conflict in Hassan to Project Tiger, Kalyan recounts how documentaries have sparked real-world policy changes and shifts in public perception.

1:05:00 — Living With Wildlife: Accommodation & Threats
An honest conversation about the tension between romanticising coexistence and confronting ground realities—displacement, rural struggles, and ethical ambiguities.

1:11:00 — Unwritten Stories & Mental Health
Kalyan reflects on the urgent need for stories at the intersection of mental health and nature, and why they’re overdue in the conservation canon.

1:14:53 — Rapid Fire & Closing Reflections
The episode wraps with a quick-fire Q&A on filmmaking, regrets, rewards and misconceptions, followed by some closing thoughts.

And that is it from me for now. Hopefully, should be settled by the weekend, and can resume regular service, of a sort, here. Be well, all.