Jun 07 2025 to Jun 07 2025 11 a.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

52 minutes | English and Kannada with English subtitles | 2005 | India

India’s smooth-coated otters are captivating animals with distinct characters and intricate social lives. In this documentary, wildlife filmmaker Sugandhi Gadadhar explores the playful and resilient lives of an otter family residing in one of India’s most rapidly changing waterways.

The banks of the River Cauvery are where Sugandhi spent her childhood holidays. The memories of those times and her fleeting glimpses of the mysterious animals dipping below the waterline have fascinated her ever since.

Now she is back and with the help of Shivu, a local fisherman, is following Maya, a female otter, and her family in the hope of documenting their family dynamics, challenges, and achievements. But the otters are wary of her presence. They have learnt that staying elusive means staying alive.

Shivu grew up along the banks of the river Cauvery. He not only helps Sugandhi navigate the waters but also opens her eyes to the lives of fishermen and the problems they face.
As pollution and destructive dynamite fishing threaten the delicate balance of their habitat, the otters and the fishermen, whose livelihoods also depend on the river, are often in conflict.

Not many people know that otters exist in India. An otter is to a river what a tiger is to a forest. They are the apex predators in the river. Set along the picturesque landscape of the river Cauvery in southern India, this film captures never-before-filmed otter behaviour while subtly articulating the conflict that is brewing.

The screening of the film will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.

This screening is part of BIC’s programmes for Environment Day 2025 titled The Earth Remembers: Stories of Justice and Resilience. This year’s Environment Day gathering centres on the people at the frontlines of ecological change, communities whose lives are entangled with the land, the waters, and the skies, and who carry not only the weight of loss but also the seeds of resilience. Rather than viewing the environment as separate from society, we listen to stories where the two are inseparable.

Speakers

Sugandhi Gadadhar
Director and Cinematographer
Sugandhi Gadadhar is a National Geographic Explorer, a wildlife filmmaker, and a freelance wildlife cinematographer. She is a member of the IUCN Otter Specialist Group. Her short films on wildlife and conservation have won several awards at various film festivals. Sugandhi aims to tell stories about nature and the wild spaces around us that must be protected and preserved.

Raghunath “Rana” Belur
Producer and Cinematographer
Rana is a cinematographer, wildlife filmmaker, and tech geek. He is happiest when he needs to observe and film animal behaviour. He is a member of the IUCN Otter Specialist Group. He loves telling stories about the beauty of nature and wildlife to raise awareness of issues related to their conservation.