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He was a star employee at Yahoo. Won a global award. Led cryptography for one of the world’s biggest web portals. And could identify exactly 3 birds. Then he quit everything, packed his bags, and walked into the forests of BR Hills. Twenty years later, Kalyan Varma has made films with some of the biggest names in the industry, won the National Film Award, been Emmy-nominated, and shot for BBC, Netflix, and National Geographic. In this episode, we sit down with him for an informal and honest conversation about the leap of faith that nobody understood. From ethical hacking and cyber security to elephants, tigers, documentaries, and conservation, this episode travels through two decades of stories from the wild — including the making of Wild Karnataka, Project Tiger, Wild Tamil Nadu, the ethics of wildlife filmmaking, AI in cinema, and some unforgettable behind-the-scenes moments from the field. This is Kalyan Varma like you’ve never seen him before. This episode is in association with Dhole's Den, a boutique, eco-friendly safari homestay and lodge located in Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, India. Check out their website for more details and to book your stay: https://dholesden.com/ Timestamps 00:00 Highlights 00:47 Introduction 02:12 Who Is Kalyan Varma Really? 03:43 Why are so many techies Wildlife Photographers? 05:3 Kalyan’s Hacking days 08:21 Exploring an interest in Wildlife 14:32 Adventures in BR Hills and interactions with Soligas 19:52 Finally Quitting a High-Paying Tech Career for Wildlife 23:02 The Shift from Photography to Wildlife Filmmaking 26:28 All about Kalyan’s films and the stories behind them 50:21 AI vs Real Wildlife Filmmaking: What is the future? 01:00:49 Kalyan’s belief in Creative Commons 01:04:59 Kalyan’s photo in an Explicit magazine? 01:07:15 The Philosophy behind Never Chasing NatGeo’s Yellow Border 01:09:57 Making Wildlife Films Mainstream and the Big Dream 01:21:19 The End of the Conversation LISTEN to the podcast on our Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/43HpmHG ... 🔔 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe! For any other queries, EMAIL: info@natureinfocus.in Follow our social media channels- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somelikeitwild_/ X: https://x.com/somelikeit_wild To stay updated, visit our website: somelikeitwild.com ------------------- ABOUT Welcome to Some Like It Wild—the podcast that takes you deep into the untold stories of India’s legendary wildlife champions. What drives someone to chase cobras through the Western Ghats? Or spend years tracking big cats? What pivotal moments led them to choose a career in the wild, especially in an era when conservation was barely a conversation? In each episode, we sit down with scientists, filmmakers, conservationists, and more to hear their unfiltered stories—their struggles, triumphs, and the raw, untold moments that defined their journeys. From near-misses with predators to the evolving challenges of protecting India's biodiversity, this is the story of those legends you've never heard.
Unknown Host hosts The Man who Quit EVERYTHING for the Wild FT. Kalyan Varma.
He was a star employee at Yahoo. Won a global award. Led cryptography for one of the world’s biggest web portals. And could identify exactly 3 birds. Then he quit everything, packed his bags, and walked into the forests
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