At just 28, Aishwarya Sridhar continues to redefine what it means to tell stories from the wild. She is renowned as the first Indian woman to win at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards in London (2020) for her poetic capture of fireflies beneath a starlit sky in Bhandardara. Aishwarya’s latest documentary — Rana: The Leopard Dynasty — is a gripping coming-of-age saga that has captivated international audiences.

Shot over 18 months in the scrub forests of Jhalana, Rajasthan, Rana chronicles the emotional and instinct-driven journey of a young male leopard who eventually challenges his own father in a bid for dominance. “It’s Bollywood meets wildlife,” Aishwarya smiles — and the film lives up to that billing with its intense drama, dramatic score, and sweeping cinematography.

The film has already premiered on ServusTV in Austria and Germany receiving widespread praise. However, Indian audiences are yet to see the leopard’s roar—Rana hasn’t premiered in India yet. Talks are currently underway with a broadcast partner to bring the documentary to Indian screens.

“The story is set in India, and I’m really looking forward to sharing it here.” Aishwarya told The Brighter World. 

In Conversation: The Story Behind 'Rana'

The Brighter World: Congratulations on Rana! It's making waves internationally.
Aishwarya: Thank you so much! 

TBW: What’s the response been like since its European premiere?
Aishwarya: Incredible. It aired in Austria and Germany, and the feedback has been overwhelming. But I’m really waiting for it to air in India. That’s home. That’s where Rana belongs.

A Wild Bollywood Saga

TBW: Rana’s story feels like a royal dynasty drama. Was that your intention from the start?
Aishwarya: Absolutely. I grew up watching documentaries and always felt they were a bit too clinical. I wanted to create something engaging and dramatic—something people could truly connect with emotionally. India is the land of Bollywood; we love characters, plots, and emotions. I wanted to bring that storytelling style into the natural world—to craft a narrative around dynasty, lineage, dominance, and survival through Rana’s journey. Because only when people connect, do they care enough to protect.

Filming in the Wild: A Test of Patience

TBW: What challenges did you face while tracking Rana and capturing intimate moments of his life?
Aishwarya: Oh, huge. Jhalana is a small tiger reserve, but leopards are shy and elusive. We couldn’t just cut to a random leopard; it had to be Rana all the way through. It took us over a year to track him consistently. This wouldn’t have been possible without our field team—Kenneth Lawrence (DOP), Hemanth Dabi (field producer), and incredible trackers like Bunty, Raju, and Kuldeep. Their deep understanding of leopard behavior was invaluable.

A Moment Etched in Memory

TBW: Was there a moment that stood out during filming?
Aishwarya: Absolutely, the day Rana took down an adult Nilgai (Indian blue bull). Nilgais are enormous—three times the size of a leopard. It's unheard of. We watched him struggle for 30 minutes and finally succeed. It was historic—one of the rarest documented kills by a leopard, and it’s in the film.

The Feline Trilogy: Maya, Noor, Rana

Rana marks the final chapter in Aishwarya’s trilogy on India’s iconic big cats. It began with The Queen of Taru (2021), based on the famous tigress Maya of Tadoba, followed by India’s Lion Queen, the story of Noor, an Asiatic lioness from Gujarat’s Gir forest.

Aishwarya: Maya’s story was deeply personal. I began tracking her at 15, just out of love for tigers. I had so much footage, and when a male tiger tried to take over her territory, Maya brought back her former mate to fight him off—a bold, strategic move. It felt like a Bollywood plot, and that inspired the first film.

TBW: Was your goal to humanize these cats?
Aishwarya: Yes! People often see big cats as brutal predators. But they feel love, loss, and fear. Through my films, I wanted to show their emotional side—to make people feel for them. Once that empathy is built, conservation follows naturally.

The Road Ahead

TBW: So what’s next? More big cat stories?
Aishwarya: Definitely. I want to continue telling stories that portray animals as characters with emotion. But I also want to explore human-animal conflict and pressing environmental issues like illegal wildlife trade and pollution.

Aishwarya's journey has been one of grit and purpose. In a male-dominated field, she’s faced ageism, sexism, and doubt, but never let it define her.

Aishwarya: People didn’t take me seriously because I was young or a woman. But I had a mission to do something good for the planet. I want to leave behind a legacy that inspires others to follow this path.

TBW: Any photographers or filmmakers you look up to?
Aishwarya: Sir David Attenborough for sure. He has been like the biggest inspiration and the reason why I got into this in the first place. Watching him on television really inspired me. Secondly, I would also say Derek and Beverly Joubert. Their big cat stories have been really inspiring for me. 

TBW: If not wildlife filmmaking?
Aishwarya: I’d probably be an economist! I loved numbers, business studies, and accountancy.

Through Her Lens, A Legacy Unfolds

With her production company Bambee Studios Pvt. Ltd., Aishwarya is setting a new benchmark for Indian wildlife filmmaking. Her style—merging narrative, emotion, and visual grandeur—has breathed life into India's forests and characters like Maya, Noor, and now Rana.

This Nature Photography Day, as the world celebrates those who bring the beauty of the earth into focus, Aishwarya Sridhar stands out not just as a photographer but as a storyteller turning silent landscapes into stirring legacies.

"Leopard Dynasty—Rise of Rana" is written and directed by Aishwarya Sridhar 

Principal Cinematography - Kenneth Lawrence 

Field producer - Hemant Dabi

The film is produced by Aishwarya Sridhar and Jacqueline Farmer, edited by Akash Gulati, with Julie Busse as the edit producer.

Co-produced by Terra Mater Studios, Bambee Studios, and Ouragan Films, with the participation of ARTE G.E.I.E.

It was also great to see a corporate like Vedanta fund a wildlife documentary through their CSR initiative, showcasing how corporate social responsibility can meaningfully support environmental storytelling.