India's first wildlife OTT platform

Suyash Keshari, the 25-year-old wildlife presenter, filmmaker and conservationist from the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh, has recently released the trailer of 'Safari with Suyash — TV' for his OTT platform.

Wildlife photography and filming came at a very later stage in Suyash's life. It is only a medium of storytelling for him. He was always interested in nature and wildlife. Since his early childhood, he have been that kid who always wanted to play in the backyard, run on the farm, climb up a guava tree and wait for the birds to come, so that he could eat the fruits with them, watched ants parade in a line, sat by a pond in the middle of the summer in 45-degree heat just to observe the fish, the herons and other birds come to drink or hunt. Suyash says. "I was that kid who always wanted to go to a jungle for a holiday and wanted to watch wildlife shows instead of Cartoon Network even at the age of five and six. And I was that kid who always wanted to find, and share every single wildlife story with his family, friends, and visitors at the house – no matter their interests."

Suyash Keshari recently launched 'Safari with Suyash – TV', which is the world's first and one of kind wildlife OTT platforms. He says, "We wanted to create a property that we can nurture from its inception, have full creative control, carry out strong messaging on conservation issues, many of which are not talked about in traditional TV shows, and most importantly we wanted something that can be completely raw, authentic, and unfiltered.

The production by the likes of Animal Planet, Nat Geo, and BBC are mind-blowing but these productions are scripted, dramatic, and planned to a tee, which often takes away the authenticity of a being in a jungle. Paired with this, the growing interest among people in wildlife ignited the idea to launch 'Safari with Suyash- TV'. Virtual Safaris had never been done before in India and hence we thought we could carve out a niche by putting together India's first virtual safari experience. Our safaris are educational, raw and vivid. It's interactive and would help people understand nature better, have a connection with it. With all that in mind, we created 'Safari with Suyash – TV' which is India's first OTT platform dedicated to wildlife. We will be bringing the beauty, excitement and wonder of wildlife into people's homes across the world."

While recollecting about his childhood influence he says, "If you ask me about someone from my family, it has to be my Nanaji. It was when I was four years old that my Nanaji took me to the Zoological Park in Kolkata. As all kids would do, I jumped and clapped when I saw the tiger roar. My Nanaji asked me, "Beta, do you like watching the tiger?", I replied, "Yes Nanaji". Then he told me, "Beta these are not the same tigers that you watch on TV in National Geography or BBC documentaries. These animals are trapped for life in these small cages." It broke my heart at a very early age and set me on a path to learn more about our wild animals and seeing them as much as possible in their wild homes."

The Virtual Safari experience is the first of its kind in India. Unlike other documentaries which are planned to tee, these are raw, educational and authentic. It's like sitting in a jeep from the comfort of your home and enjoying the wilderness. While creating this project, education was a key aspect that he kept in mind. He says, "The purpose was to get people excited about wildlife and help them understand nature better. We even ran a special discount specifically for students so that they too can enjoy and learn from this experience. We wanted to give people a chance to understand and learn about the wild. Tracking and identifying different species and most importantly letting people know about the importance of several species for the sustenance of our ecosystem. As I always say, "What we can see, we can love, and what we can love, we will fight to protect"."

He says, his family and friends were always supportive by his decision. "My family especially was always by my side when I decided to quit my Political Advocacy job in the US and take up wildlife presenting and filmmaking. It was because I had a plan. I had planned my steps; I had backup options in case I failed. It wasn't like one fine morning I just woke up and quit my job. It wasn't an overnight decision but a result of meticulous planning over months. But at the end of the day, it was surely a risk worth taking," Suyash shares.

While asked about any incidents in the wild that left a mark on him, he says, "For me, it has to be Solo, a tigress I had known since she was just a cub. She was poisoned on in October 2020. It was one of the most catastrophic losses in my personal and professional career. I had written a memoir that would shed insight into my relationship with her:

• "Rest in peace, my beautiful girl... Bandhavgarh literally will not be the same without you. Many people will not understand, but I had a bond with you like none other. You played such a critical role in my life. I have followed you since you were four months old, and now at the age of 8, you are gone. I have spent countless hours with you or searching for you. Learning about you, learning from you. I learned the importance of family, of living in the moment, being ruthlessly loyal, ambitious and courageous, and most importantly be a loving individual. An Instagram post will never be able to explain how you taught me all this and more.

• You were in your prime. You were the best and most protective mother, the best and the most ambitious daughter. You were carrying the cause of tiger conservation on your shoulders and your story was reaching out to millions... your cubs were supposed to be the torchbearers of your troubled species.

• But sadly, it is suspected that you were poisoned by humans, murdered in cold blood and so was one of your cubs, and we still don't know what happened to the remaining three.

• I cannot help but feel absolutely devastated and even personally responsible that I couldn't do more to save you or the other members of your species which are dying every day. I am sorry Solo. I really am.

• You will always live in my heart, in my soul and in all those people who have watched you alongside me - this was dedicated to you. And I will remain dedicated to your kind!"