Visual storytelling can humanise wild, says award-winning wildlife filmmaker Aishwarya Sridhar

CHENNAI: The first Indian woman to win at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards in London, Aishwarya Sridhar, a National Geographic explorer and CEO of Bambee Studios, captured the habitat of Bengal Tigress Maya, titled Tiger Queen of Taru, in her recent work. She talks to DT Next about filming the wild life of lions and tigers across India and how the visual medium plays a crucial role in expanding awareness on tiger conservation.

As a young photographer and artist, how do you think the visual medium can help protect the tiger population in our country?

I truly believe that the visual medium holds immense power in shaping hearts, minds, and ultimately, policies. When I first started filming Maya, it wasn’t just about capturing a tiger on camera—it was about telling her story - triumphs, motherhood, struggles against poaching, threats and shrinking habitats. Through my lens, I wanted audiences to see her not just as a wild animal, but as a sentient being with emotions, instincts, and a fierce will to survive. Storytelling, especially through film and photography, has the power to humanise the wild without domesticating it. Visual narratives can inspire children to become conservationists and motivate policymakers to prioritise habitat protection. In a country like ours, where tigers are both revered and endangered, storytelling becomes an essential conservation tool.

Can you share about your recent work on Bengal Tigress Maya, titled Tiger Queen of Taru? How was the experience while shooting for the feature, and what were the difficulties?

Tiger Queen of Taru has been one of the most personal and fulfilling projects I’ve worked on because it’s not just a film, it’s a story I’ve lived. I first saw Maya when I was just 15. Over the years, I watched her rise through the ranks to become the dominant tigress of Tadoba, ruling the largest territory in the reserve. She was fearless, intelligent, and fiercely maternal, standing up to grown males to protect her cubs. And yet, there was a strange gentleness to her, too. She became India’s most photographed tigress after Machli. Since I was still in school at the time, juggling academics with filming was a real challenge. As I couldn’t always be in Tadoba, many of my friends, fellow wildlife lovers and photographers helped me out by sharing their footage of Maya.

As a photographer, what are the biggest challenges in wildlife photography, and what would be your suggestions for aspiring photographers?

One of the biggest challenges in wildlife photography is patience. Weather and lighting are rarely in your control, so you have to adapt quickly to natural conditions. My advice to aspiring photographers would be to know your subject deeply. Start small and stay local; even photographing birds or urban wildlife can teach you a lot. Focus on ethics—never stress or disturb the animal for a shot. Most importantly, don’t wait for opportunities—start creating them.

Your views on the theme, Earning Back Our Stripes, and how such awareness can be expanded to people living in remote areas in the country? And how do you think your works help in tiger conservation efforts?

The theme, Earning Back Our Stripes, is both powerful and urgent. Awareness campaigns can’t be one-size-fits-all—they need to be rooted in local languages, cultures, and concerns. I’ve found that screenings of films in buffer villages around tiger reserves have had an unexpected impact—when local communities see tigers on screen not just as threats, but as mothers, protectors, and part of a larger natural balance, it slowly shifts perceptions. The more people fall in love with tigers, the stronger the public and political will becomes to protect them. And in the end, that’s how we truly earn back our stripes—by restoring not just the numbers, but the relationship between humans and the wild.

Apart from filming Bengal Tigress Maya, which are your other works related to tigers, and which is your personal favourite among them? Can you explain in detail about the wildlife expedition?

While Maya’s story has been one of the most defining projects of my life, my work with big cats goes beyond her. I’ve created a trilogy that focuses on all three of India’s iconic big cats—the tiger, the lion, and the leopard. The other two films are India's Lion Queen and Leopard Dynasty-Rise of Rana. Each film is a character-led story, designed not just to showcase the majesty of these animals but to reveal their emotional depth, intelligence, and individuality. If I had to name the ones closest to my heart, it would be the stories of Maya, the tigress from Tadoba, and Rana, a leopard from Jhalana I followed for years. Both journeys began when they were young—I saw them grow, face life-threatening challenges, carve their own space in the wild, and rise in their ways. That kind of long-term documentation builds not just a film, but a relationship. There's something powerful about following a wild animal’s journey from innocence to dominance.

With Rana, I remember following him through dense undergrowth for days by jeep, trying to capture the elusive side of leopard life. With Maya, it was about understanding her routine—how she hunted, how she taught her cubs, how she held her ground. These stories aren’t just filmed—they’re lived. And through them, I hope audiences not only fall in love with big cats but feel inspired to protect them and the wild spaces they call home.