‘Sacred’, a short film on grassroots conservationist Malhar Indulkar

Sanctuary Nature Foundation and Faraway Originals have produced a short film ‘Sacred’, on the unique philosophy and work of Malhar Indulkar, a young grassroots conservationist from Sindhudurg, Maharashtra. Shot almost entirely in a revered and rare Myristica swamp over a period of two days, the five minute long film is available to view on Youtube.

The film explores the work of 26-year-old grassroots conservationist Malhar Indulkar who is working to protect the sacred groves of Sindhudurg, Maharashtra.

Hailing from a family of agricultural activists from Chiplun, Maharashtra, Malhar Indulkar is a graduate of the unique Swaraj University. He is focussed on the conservation of habitats along the state’s Tillari and Terekhol rivers. These mostly comprise riverine tracts, and sacred groves - patches of forest that have historically been culturally protected but are increasingly threatened. Working on his own steam, with a little support from the Nityata River Otter Conservancy volunteer collective and Sanctuary's Mud on Boots Project, Malhar is implementing innumerable, creative initiatives to convince his community to protect their beautiful land.

“Witnessing Malhar’s commitment to his work, and the enigma of the ancient Myristica swamp where we shot most of the film, led us to make a movie that reflects Malhar’s deep love for all Nature, which he considers sacred,” says Pankaj Singh, Co-Founder, Faraway Originals, a small team of creative storytellers based in Bengaluru.

“Sanctuary’s Mud on Boots Project aims to empower unsung grassroots conservationists across India. Telling their stories is instrumental to this. Malhar has been battling all odds to continue his conservation work, and this is a fitting tribute to his resilience. We couldn’t be happier with this collaboration between Sanctuary and Faraway Originals,” says Cara Tejpal, Director of Conservation at Sanctuary Nature Foundation.