BHUBANESWAR: Corbett’s Trail, a 70-minute feature documentary by Odia filmmaker Tanmay Sahoo, has received invitations to be screened at different international film festivals.
The film follows the remarkable journey undertaken in the summer of 2022 by eminent wildlife biologist, writer and naturalist Dr AJT Johnsingh, accompanied by his long-time associates Dr GS Rawat and Dr Bivash Pandav. The team retraced the trails once traversed by Jim Corbett across the forests and landscapes of Uttarakhand.
Their journey revisits locations associated with Corbett’s encounters with man-eating tigers and leopards during one of the most intense periods of human-wildlife conflict in the region. Walking through rugged terrain and facing unpredictable weather, Dr Johnsingh explored not only the physical trails but also the history, culture and relationship between local communities and the forests.
The documentary presents Jim Corbett’s extraordinary transformation from a renowned hunter of man-eating big cats to a passionate advocate for wildlife and forest conservation. His experiences, recorded in celebrated books such as Man-Eaters of Kumaon and The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag, continue to offer insights into the complex relationship between people and wildlife.
The film also explores the ecotourism possibilities of Corbett’s historic trails and the deep eco-cultural connections between the people and wilderness of Uttarakhand.
The film by Tanmay and his team from Odisha seeks to preserve these stories for a new generation while highlighting the continuing relevance of conservation and coexistence between humans and wildlife.
This KNV Production was created with the support of the Uttarakhand Forest department and The Corbett Foundation. The documentary film’s concept, script and presentation were guided by Dr Johnsingh, with narration voiced by PC Ramakrishna. Ashis Dhir served as the director of photography, working alongside camera operators Aswini Sahu and Sanjeev Kumar.