Planet Earth II is a 2016 British nature documentary series produced by the BBC as a sequel to the highly successful Planet Earth television series, which aired a decade earlier, in 2006. The series is presented and narrated by Sir David Attenborough with the score composed by Hans Zimmer. Planet Earth II marks the first television series that the BBC have produced in Ultra-high-definition (4K).
Cameraman Sandesh Kadur on location for the Langurs Sequence
“The relationship between Indian people and wildlife – the acceptance and compassion – made it stand out as a place that was completely inspiring.”, Fredi Devas, Series Producer.
The consequence of this urban sprawl undoubtedly puts pressure on wildlife in ways that one cannot imagine. But when we take a closer look, there are a few brave and bold living among us.
Some of whom are revered and some of whom are feared…While Langurs in Jodhpur are revered and often fed by residents, the macaques of Jaipur commute to the markets to raids the food stalls. However, the stealthiest of predators living in the shadows are the Leopards of Mumbai. Using the cover of darkness and the noise of the city to hunt domesticated animals, these cats have thrived. Mumbai has the highest density of leopards in the world!
Shot by Sandesh, the Jodhpur sequence from the old city area of Brahmapuri is the opening shot for the Cities episode. Following the troops of langurs over narrow parapets, capturing crucial moments against the backdrop of the blue city and ensuring the animals were not disturbed was an adventure of its own. There may be a reason why three sequences of the cities episode feature India.
Over the past decade we have attempted to understand our natural world like never before and the technology we use to film it has grown by leaps and bounds. However, in that same time our environment has come under immense pressure.
