There are countless documentaries about wildlife on Earth, and more often than not, they present us with creatures that live beyond our understanding, forming vital parts of our ecosystem, but are now endangered because of us—humans. Taira Malaney, from a young age, was immersed in these documentaries, but often felt depressed by them. ‘I understand the importance of those films, but I wanted to make one that motivates young people to feel connected to these creatures and want to protect them. It needed to carry a message of hope, a belief that an animal can recover from extreme changes in its environment—especially an animal that has been surviving for millennia.’ The animals she is talking about are sea turtles.
But Malaney didn’t set out to make the 2024 Grand Teton Award-winning documentary because of sea turtles. Turtle Walker, a film backed by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s Tiger Baby and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, was born out of biologist Satish Bhaskar’s deep, innate connection to these slow-paced creatures. The veteran marine biologist, who passed away in 2023, traveled most of the 7,516 km Indian coastline on foot to conduct surveys and identify crucial conservation sites, establishing himself as one of the most inspiring marine researchers for future generations. The film also just had its world premiere at DOC NYC, receiving a very warm reception with sold out screenings.
Imagine uprooting yourself from your town life, detaching from your loved ones, and living alone on the islands of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep. Forget food and accommodation; you’d be staying in bare huts, frequently visited by various island animals. To most of us, this would sound like a nightmare, but for Bhaskar, it was a dream come true.
It all started when Bhaskar used to hangout at the Madras Snake Park to escape from an education in engineering that wasn’t quite interesting to him, and there he got the opportunity to meet the renowned herpetologist Romulus Whitaker. Whitaker recognized Bhaskar’s deep yearning for the world of sea turtles and encouraged him to go to Suheli Par, Lakshadweep. Bhaskar was more than happy to immerse himself in the world of sea turtles, despite facing severe hardships and enduring the agony of separation from his future wife, Brenda. He wrote eight letters to her, sealed in bottles, hoping they would somehow cross the 800 km of ocean waves and reach her. In a truly cinematic twist, one of those letters did reach her through a fisherman—after 26 days.
It was this passion, determination, and empathy that inspired Malaney to make the film. ‘I wanted to show that one person's effort can have a huge impact,’ she says. ‘We often feel hopeless about endangered species and conservation, thinking we can’t do anything to help. But when you see how his legacy has inspired future generations, you realize the lasting impact one individual can create.’
Taira Malaney
She was fascinated by the idea of making her debut feature doc during a visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where she worked with an organization called Reef Watch. It was there that Malaney decided to become a filmmaker, using the medium to connect people with the natural world and began searching for stories. ‘I came across an article by Whitaker, who had written about old jungle sayings and legends about Satish, passed around in the marine conservation community. Some of them were fascinating, but what really captivated me was why Satish was marooning himself alone on islands with nothing but sea turtles. What was his motivation?’
With no digital footprints, it was difficult to locate Bhaskar. One of the main sea turtle researchers in India today, Kartik Shanker, helped her to connect with him. But even when she did, he wasn’t interested in being featured. He was of a reserved and introverted nature, the exact qualities that helped him to survive on islands and connect with sea turtles. Malaney further tells us, ‘He’s not someone who wants public attention but I kept going back, spending more time with him’, she says. ‘Building trust is so important, and I don’t think I’d expect anyone to say yes right away. In a way, the fact that he said no reassured me that he wasn’t in it for fame or notoriety. He really cared about his work. So, there was an element of humility and authenticity, which was very important to me as a filmmaker.’
The doc that took seven years to make did not come without it’s challenges. ‘I think part of it is because when you’re capturing someone’s life, there has to be evolution. The character needs to grow. Even though we pitched at various forums, broadcasters or distributors weren’t ready to come on board initially, so it was a slow buildup. At first, it was just a small crew here in Goa. We’d raise funds and shoot as much as we could. Once we had enough footage to create a teaser, we could start pitching to producers. Her experience also led her to establish Emaho—a small boutique production company focused mainly on documentaries about people and nature. Soon, ‘Tiger Baby also came on board. They joined towards the end of production and helped us with the post-production.’
The film opens with a shot of hatchlings diving into the sea, captured so perfectly by underwater DOP Umeed Mistry that it almost feels like animation. ‘They hatch, emerge from the sand, and immediately head toward the sea because otherwise, they’re preyed upon. There's this frantic rush to reach the ocean. We wanted to highlight the vulnerability of the animal—how one in a thousand survives. And then, they live to be 80 to 100 years old. That really fascinated me—their longevity. They’re one of the oldest living marine species. In that scene, we wanted to showcase the struggle they face in the water, how they have to push through the waves. You see them tumbling and getting tossed around.’ The moment they are born, they strive to survive, from predators, plastic, nets, climate calamities and water pollution.
After watching the film, one can’t help but reflect on the perseverance of everyone involved—the turtles, Satish, and the filmmaker. It almost feels as if they are all united in their effort to connect with each other. It was this very perseverance of turtles that perhaps inspired Bhaskar and then Malaney to push forward, despite all the challenges, in capturing the beauty of underwater life.
Words Paridhi Badgotri
Archival Image Credits Satish Bhaskar
Date 16.01.2025