Subbiah Nallamuthu

They are the fine indicator of a healthy functional ecosystem. In culture, religion, and folklore, tigers occur everywhere as symbols of reverence and fascination. They are ambassadors representing entire ecosystems. Apex predators define everything under their umbrella. Things go wrong with anything in the ecosystem; it affects the tigers. One tiger can create a whole forest.

Tigers hold a certain fascination for all of us. I have followed Machli and her clan over three generations across a decade. Each tiger has distinctive personality traits and reacts differently to the same situation. I like to get into their minds and interpret their lives. To me, a story and the character behind the story is more important than mere technical natural history.

When two very young tiger cubs were orphaned in Ranthambore, we were horrified to see a male tiger following them, as males are often fatal to cubs. Instead, the male tiger paradoxically named 'Zalim' adopted them and took on the role of a mother, raising his daughters until adulthood. Witnessing this unprecedented tender bond first-hand was extraordinary.

Tigers will rarely get aggressive without reason. They are possessive of territory against rivals, but surprisingly tolerant and calm around humans in safari vehicles. In over 7 years of daily filming, I have rarely seen unprovoked aggression. Giving them space and respect is essential.

As a filmmaker, I focus on bringing the true story and unique behavior of tigers to the screen to build empathy. The government has constant policies, but tiger survival is deeply interlinked with habitat protection, local community inclusion, and positive field action beyond debates.

Under big banners, creative artists get budget freedom to shoot high-end formats, but the name and commercial awards frequently remain with the banner. I filmed for 15 years winning 18 international awards where my name wasn't acknowledged. That is why founding Grey Films gave me the freedom to stay true to my creative sensibilities without star systems or corporate filters.