{{Short description|Indian photographer and filmmaker}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}} {{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}} {{Infobox person | name = Amoghavarsha JS | image = Amoghavarsha2020.jpg | caption = | education = Bachelor of Computer Science | occupation = Filmmaker and wildlife photographer | birth_place = Bengaluru, India | website = {{URL|amoghavarsha.com}} | years_active = 2005-present | footnotes = }} '''Amoghavarsha JS''' is an Indian filmmaker, wildlife photographer, and conservationist. He is known for his work in wildlife and nature documentary filmmaking, including films such as ''Wild Karnataka'' (2019) and ''Gandhada Gudi'' (2022).<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |last=Datta |first=Sravasti |date=2019-03-04 |title=A majestic celebration: Wild Karnataka, India's first blue-chip natural history |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/a-majestic-celebration/article26429185.ece |access-date=2024-12-13 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Wild Karnataka explores the biodiversity of Karnataka<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |author=Staff Reporter |date=2021-03-22 |title=Wild Karnataka wins national award in non-feature category |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/wild-karnataka-wins-national-award-in-non-feature-category/article34136671.ece |access-date=2024-12-13 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> and received two awards at the 67th National Film Awards. He also served as the art director for the album ''Divine Tides'' by Ricky Kej and Stewart Copeland, which received two Grammy Awards.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |date=2023-02-06 |title=Grammy Awards 2023: Bengaluru-based Ricky Kej wins his third Grammy Award for album 'Divine Tides' |url=https://www.businesstoday.in/trending/story/grammy-awards-2023-bengaluru-based-ricky-kej-wins-his-third-grammy-award-for-album-divine-tides-369101-2023-02-06 |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Business Today |language=en}}</ref>
== Early life == Amoghavarsha was born in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. He earned a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and began his professional career as a software engineer at Amazon. During this period, he developed an interest in wildlife photography, frequently visiting forests near Bengaluru. After two years, he joined the technology startup Asklaila as its first employee and later transitioned to a part-time programming role to focus more on photography.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Mohan |first=Deepa |date=2008-12-08 |title=In pursuit of a passion |url=https://citizenmatters.in/688-amoghavarsha-wildlife-photography-photography/ |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Citizen Matters |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Career ==
=== Photography === Amoghavarsha's interest in photography developed through frequent visits to the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot in southern India.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Admin |date=2024-06-20 |title=10 Indian Wildlife Photographers You Should Follow For Stunning Nature Photography |url=https://121clicks.com/inspirations/best-famous-indian-wildlife-photographers#google_vignette |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=121clicks.com |language=en-US}}</ref> He conducted photography workshops at locations such as Thekkady, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, and Bannerghatta National Park,<ref name=":0" /> and served as a photo ambassador for a camera store in Bengaluru. He also worked part-time with Felis Creations, a wildlife production company founded by Sandesh Kadur.
In 2020, he was selected as a judge for Sony BBC Earth's photography contest, ''Earth in Focus''. As part of the contest, he led a masterclass titled ''The Art of Storytelling Through Photography'', focusing on visual narratives in nature photography.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 October 2020 |title=Sony BBC Earth concludes a successful run of photography contest and IP 'Earth in Focus' |url=https://www.afaqs.com/news/media/sony-bbc-earth-concludes-a-successful-run-of-photography-contest-and-ip-earth-in-focus |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=www.afaqs.com |language=en}}</ref>
=== Filmmaking ===
==== Early projects ==== Amoghavarsha began directing environmental documentaries with ''Kali'', a film centered on the ecological importance of the Kali River in Karnataka. The film is credited with raising public awareness about the river, contributing to the renaming of the Dandeli Anshi Tiger Reserve to the Kali Tiger Reserve in 2015.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Anshi-Dandeli Tiger reserve may be named after River Kali |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/anshi-dandeli-tiger-reserve-may-be-named-after-river-kali-474167.html |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref>
In the same year, he collaborated with composer Ricky Kej on ''Shanti Samsara'', a musical project that combined environmental themes with visuals. The film was launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |author=Niranjan Kaggere |date=Dec 3, 2015 |title=PM's documentary show in Paris reveals state link |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/pms-documentary-show-in-paris-reveals-state-link/articleshow/50017026.cms |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Bangalore Mirror |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=2015-12-01 |title=Narendra Modi, Hollande launch Ricky Kej's new music album in Paris |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/music/news/narendra-modi-hollande-launch-ricky-kejs-new-music-album-in-paris/articleshow/49992371.cms |access-date=2024-12-13 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> and officially presented by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President François Hollande at the International Solar Alliance (ISA) event.<ref name=":3" /> The project featured Sanskrit verses and spoken-word contributions by individuals such as Amitabh Bachchan, Frances Fisher,<ref name=":3" /> and Rosanna Arquette. Many of the visuals used in the film were adapted from ''Kali''.<ref name=":2" />
==== ''Wild Karnataka'' ==== In 2021, Amoghavarsha co-directed the documentary ''Wild Karnataka'' with Kalyan Varma. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the film showcased the rich biodiversity of Karnataka and received two awards at the 67th National Film Awards in India: Best Exploration/Adventure Film and Best Narration/Voice Over.<ref name=":6" /> Music from the documentary was later adapted into the track Mother Earth on ''Divine Tides'', an album composed by Ricky Kej and Stewart Copeland.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gomes |first=Suruchi Kapur |date=2021-06-26 |title=Grammy award-winner Ricky Kej's new album is an ode to earth |url=https://sundayguardianlive.com/culture/grammy-award-winner-ricky-kejs-new-album-ode-earth |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=The Sunday Guardian Live |language=en-US}}</ref>
Amoghavarsha served as art director for ''Divine Tides'', which received Grammy Awards at the 64th and 65th Annual Grammy Awards.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 November 2024 |title=Ricky Kej, Anoushka Shankar, earn nominations for 67th Grammy Awards |url=https://www.business-standard.com/entertainment/ricky-kej-anoushka-shankar-earn-nominations-for-67th-grammy-awards-124110900233_1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113154829/https://www.business-standard.com/entertainment/ricky-kej-anoushka-shankar-earn-nominations-for-67th-grammy-awards-124110900233_1.html |archive-date=2024-11-13 |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=www.business-standard.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
==== ''Gandhada Gudi'' ==== His 2022 documentary ''Gandhada Gudi (2022 film)'', featuring actor Puneeth Rajkumar, explored Karnataka's ecological landscapes. The film was conceived as a tribute to the 1973 film of the same name, which starred Rajkumar's father, Dr. Rajkumar. Released theatrically in October 2022, the documentary was screened both domestically and internationally. Following its 100-day theatrical run, a park in Bengaluru was renamed ''Gandhada Gudi Park'' in honor of the film and its environmental message.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Puneeth Rajkumar's Gandhada Gudi Opens In Theatres Across USA, UAE And Singapore |url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/puneeth-rajkumars-gandhada-gudi-opens-in-theatres-across-usa-uae-and-singapore-6258883.html |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=News18 |language=en}}</ref>
==== ''Homecoming – The Adventure of a Green Sea Turtle'' ==== In 2023, Amoghavarsha's production company, Mudskipper Labs, collaborated with the Museum of Solutions (MuSo) in Mumbai to produce ''Homecoming – The Adventure of a Green Sea Turtle''. The underwater short film addressed the impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems and featured narration by actors Jackie Shroff and Dia Mirza. The film became a permanent installation at MuSo<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Binayak |first=Poonam |date=2024-07-25 |title=Museum of Solutions: World's Greatest Places 2024 |url=https://time.com/6992399/museum-of-solutions/ |access-date=2024-12-13 |magazine=TIME |language=en}}</ref> and was screened at the Mumbai International Film Festival in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MIFF Celebrates India's Wildlife with Special Non-Competition Package |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2025664 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240628100253/https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2025664 |archive-date=2024-06-28 |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=pib.gov.in}}</ref> It was named runner-up for the Wildlife Conservation Documentary Award of the Year by TOFTigers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Awards Winners 2024 |url=https://www.toftigers.org/awards-winners-2024 |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=TOFTigers |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Conservation work == Amoghavarsha has actively participated in environmental education and conservation efforts. He has conducted expeditions and field workshops throughout the Western Ghats and collaborated with the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS) on telemetry studies of the King cobra and other ecological research.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amoghavarsha |url=https://greatescapesindia.wordpress.com/tag/amoghavarsha/ |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Travelogues from GreatEscapes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Matthias |first=Monish |title=Agumbe Rainforest Expedition |url=http://www.monishmatthias.com/2010/09/agumbe-rainforest-expedition.html |access-date=2024-12-13}}</ref>
He has also partnered with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on public awareness initiatives, including the ''Science Express – Biodiversity Special'', a traveling exhibition promoting biodiversity conservation in India. Furthermore, he has contributed to the development of environmental interpretation centers in partnership with the Centre for Environment Education (CEE).<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Bengaluru Park Renamed After Puneeth Rajkumar's Last Film Gandhada Gudi |url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/bengaluru-park-reamed-after-puneeth-rajkumars-last-film-gandhada-gudi-7012399.html |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=News18 |language=en}}</ref>
== Filmography == {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Title !Role!! Notes |- | 2013 || ''Huli: How to Save the Tiger?'' |Director|| |- | 2013 || ''River Terns of Bhadra'' |Director|| |- | 2014 || ''Kali'' |Director|| Short documentary on Kali River ecosystem |- | 2015 || ''Jaya Hai Kannada Thaye'' |Director|| |- |2015 |''Shanti Samsara'' |Director |Presented at the United Nations Climate Change Conference |- | 2017 || ''Indian Wildlife National Anthem'' |Director|| |- | 2020 || ''Wild Karnataka'' |Co-director|| Narrated by David Attenborough; won two National Film Awards |- | 2022 || ''Gandhada Gudi'' |Director|| Feature film starring Puneeth Rajkumar; thematic sequel |- | 2022 || ''Divine Tides'' |Director|| |- | 2023 || ''Homecoming - The Adventure Of A Green Sea Turtle'' |Producer|| Underwater short on plastic pollution; MuSo permanent exhibit |- |2025 |''Nothing On My Mind'' |Director |Short film featuring the Australian High Commissioner to India Philip Green OAM |- | 2025 || {{Pending film|italic=no|Wild Mumbai}} |Director|| to be announced<ref>{{cite web |title="Wild Mumbai": After Karnataka, Maharashtra Works on Wildlife Documentary |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/wild-mumbai-after-karnataka-maharashtra-works-on-wildlife-documentary-2168266}}</ref> |}
== Awards and recognitions == {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Award / Recognition !Category !Film !Result !Ref |- |2013 |7th CMS Vatavaran Film Festival |Newcomer Award |''Huli'' |{{win}} |<ref>{{Cite web |title=7th CMS VATAVARAN Environment and Wildlife Film Festival and Forum 2013 |url=http://www.cmsvatavaran.org/old_files/awardees2014.php |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=www.cmsvatavaran.org}}</ref> |- |2015 |8th CMS Vatavaran Film Festival | |''River Terns of Bhadra'' |{{nom}} |<ref>{{Cite web |title=8TH CMS VATAVARAN NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED {{!}} CMS VATAVARAN |url=http://vat2015.cmsvatavaran.org/nominations-announced/ |access-date=2024-12-16 |language=en-US}}</ref> |- |2016 |Impact Docs |Award of Merit |''Kali'' |{{win}} |<ref>{{Cite web |last=Globa347_wp |date=2016-01-28 |title=Awards of Merit January 2016 |url=https://impactdocsawards.com/winners-january-2016/awards-of-merit/ |access-date=2024-12-16 |language=en-US}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2" |2020 |United Nations |Screening of Wild Karnataka on World Wildlife Day | rowspan="3" |''Wild Karnataka'' | |<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-02-26 |title=Wild Karnataka to be screened at the UN headquarters on World Wildlife Day |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/wild-karnataka-to-be-screened-at-the-un-headquarters-on-world-wildlife-day/articleshow/74300960.cms |access-date=2024-12-16 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> |- |Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam |Newcomer Award |{{win}} |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam 2020 Winners Announced! |url=https://www.wildlife-film.com/features/Wildlife-Film-Festival-Rotterdam-2020-Winners-Announced.html |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=www.wildlife-film.com}}</ref> |- |2021 |67th National Film Awards |Best Exploration Film & Best Narration |{{win}} |<ref>{{Cite news |author=Staff Reporter |date=2021-03-22 |title=Wild Karnataka wins national award in non-feature category |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/wild-karnataka-wins-national-award-in-non-feature-category/article34136671.ece |access-date=2024-12-16 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> |- |2022 | rowspan="2" |Grammy Award |Best New Age Album | rowspan="2" |''Divine Tides'' |{{win}} |<ref name=":9" /> |- |2023 |Best Immersive Audio Album |{{win}} |<ref name=":9" /> |- |2024 |TOFTigers |Runner Up for the Wildlife Conservation Documentary Award |''Homecoming'' |{{win}} |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Awards Winners 2024 |url=https://www.toftigers.org/awards-winners-2024 |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=TOFTigers |language=en-US}}</ref> |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.amoghavarsha.com Amoghavarsha official website] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110926004147/http://natgeotv.com/in/secrets-of-the-king-cobra Secrets of The King Cobra] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20131217093814/http://www.mudskipper.in/portfolio/indias-first-wildlife-music-video/ Jaya hey Kannada thaye] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20131217095323/http://www.mudskipper.in/portfolio/how-to-save-the-tiger/ Huli – How to Save the Tiger?] * [http://www.cmsvatavaran.org/filmdt.php?id=44 Huli: Technology to the Frontiers of Tiger Conservation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217092536/http://www.cmsvatavaran.org/filmdt.php?id=44 |date=17 December 2013 }} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20131217093817/http://www.mudskipper.in/portfolio/river-terns/ River Terns of Bhadra] * [http://www.mudskipper.in/portfolio/kali/ Kali] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO79orOvYJA/ Wild Karnataka official teaser]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Amoghavarsha, JS}} Category:Indian documentary filmmakers Category:Indian nature photographers Category:Artists from Bengaluru Category:Living people Category:1983 births Category:20th-century Indian photographers