From Studio Frames to Forest Frontlines: Cinematographer Karan Thapliyal on Capturing Nature’s Stories

In the days when content was shared so quickly and attention was going to fleeting moments, Karan Thapliyal, a documentary cinematographer, thinks the most powerful stories can be told not with speed but with stillness. It has been a long journey for him starting from his childhood where he was surrounded by photographs to working on a set in the deep forests of India.

Karan's first memories go back to his father running a photo studio in New Delhi where pictures slowly came to life in darkrooms. That silent magic of story telling through pictures has deeply influenced him. Much later, while he was enrolling at Sri Aurobindo College (University of Delhi), he was getting inclined to a profession through which he would be able to explore both the environment and human lives. Cinematography therefore became the only option for him.

It was a first hand experience of his career that he took a formal educational course in film and video production. Documentary filmmaking however was that part which really captured his heart. It is a fact that documentaries were very different from fiction for him as they gave him an opportunity to meet and work with real people and then real environments and in no hurry. Besides that, many of these areas are very far and away where people still live a life in close touch with the forest, rivers and wildlife. Gradually he has been dedicating his time to issues of nature conservation, climate change, and human-nature interaction too.

For Thapliyal, the medium of film is not merely about creating images; it is about getting in touch with the pace of the surroundings. Often, filming starts before dawn when the morning light changes the appearance of the landscape, essentially turning it into a piece of living artwork. When it comes to making wildlife films, one not only has to be technically skilled but also patient. After all, long periods of waiting are sometimes required, even for a single valuable shot.

The Elephant Whisperers was among his most characterizing works. It was filmed in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, and the story revolves around Bomman and Bellie, the caretakers of the orphaned elephants. He spent long hours in the forest during filming to capture the young elephants Raghu and Ammu. During these outings, he could see that Ammu, with her lively and inquisitive nature, often wanted to play with his camera which was at times quite challenging and affable too.

The movie received worldwide acclaim having also been the first Indian film to win an Oscar award for Best Documentary Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards. However, for Thapliyal, the greatest satisfaction was in the joy of capturing the seamless relationship of man, animal, and nature.

Writing with fire, another major project, follows journalists at Khabar Lahariya, a dalit-run newspaper. It took years of travel and filming in unpredictable settings, often with no warning. Plus, the conditions demanded real-time adaptation. That's how documentary work really tests your flexibility.

But Thapliyal believes curiosity matters more than technical skills. Observation and patience shape your vision just as much as cameras or editing software. "Your visual voice grows over time," he says. "It comes from the people you meet and the places you go."

He plans to keep focusing on nature and conservation stories. Films can bring remote places into homes. Making wild environments feel closer to people. That connection helps grow awareness about what's being lost

And in a world that moves too fast, Thapliyal shows how stillness reveals truth. Some of the most powerful stories appear only when you stop rushing and truly watch what's around you.