About Us
Kalabagh Films
Kala Bagh (kaa·laa baagh | काला बाघ) literally means Dark Tiger, or scientifically speaking, melanistic tiger which is a rarity in the wild. The name is also an ode to the birthplace of our founder Nishant’s grandfather. Kalabagh Films is a self-funded venture and we are in the business of making films, and helping our clients make films. The company itself was established in late 2023 but the brains behind it are in this field since much longer.
Together, Nishant & Himani lead the Creative as well as Production part of documentary film projects.
We, at Kalabagh Films, are a team of dedicated professionals with a specialization in
making Conservation films and documentaries on Livelihood Initiatives for various state governments, NGOs and corporates alike. Our clients include TATA Trusts, Royal Bank of Scotland Foundation, UNICEF, WWF-India etc.
Our team has produced short films as well as worked on feature-length documentaries for various international TV networks and OTT platforms such as Discovery Plus, BBC, DisneyNature, National Geographic Channel, Hotstar, NHK Japan, NHNZ, Animal Planet, PBS Nature and AppleTV+.
We have been fortunate to be a part of the Cheetah Reintroduction Program since the inception and are engaged by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh to capture all key events for the Project Cheetah, including their release by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and following events.
Since 2011, we are also actively involved in providing photography, video shooting and aerial surveillance training to field officers of Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan.
Starting in 2009 with the re-introduction of tigers at Panna National Park, we have documented numerous Tiger/Leopard Rescue & Rehabilitation, GPS/VHF Collaring, Translocation and Release of more than 60 tigers across central India, and in recent times we have made films to promote Tourism in less popular forest destinations that includes various wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
With a combined experience of more than 15 years of working in various Protected Areas across India including Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Corbett, Ranthambhore, Tadoba, Kanha, Kuno, Singhalila, Kibber, Nanda Devi, Marine National Park etc., we have a deep sense of gratitude towards the heroes protecting our country’s natural heritage.
This understanding also helps us in keeping the script of our films factually correct, emotionally relatable and scientifically robust, making them informative & entertaining.
Our Team
Apart from people we regularly collaborate with, which includes graphic designers, musicians, writers, VFX artists,
equipment rental houses, post-production studios, accountants & legal advisors, we are a motley crew of eight, give or take…
Nishant Kapoor
Founder Director/Producer
Nishant founded Kalabagh Films after nearly 15 years of working close to Nature alongside the government and members of indigenous communities in Central India. A software engineer by education, he brings to the table his vast experience of working in varied landscapes with film crews from all over the world. Nishant also loves giving talks and interacting with people over cinema, history and other things. As a lazy-bum cameraman, he specialises in aerial filming but also boasts of an experience of filming big cats alone for nearly 1,100 days.
Himani Singh Chouhan
Founder Director/Co-Producer
With a background in Ayurveda and keen interest in all things wild, Himani has 7+ years of experience in leading top photographers and managing film crews. While working for top-tier Natural History productions, she has done DSLR camera trapping and production management on animals ranging from Snow Leopards to Tigers in urban areas. As co-founder at Kalabagh, Himani supervises the edits, does long lens and co-directs short documentaries on Conservation. She also keeps a check on our crew’s junk food consumption.
Tilak Raj Kapoor
Executive Director
Once a Sahab, always a Sahab. Retired as Secretary from the government, he is the backbone of our company and advises everyone on what not to do. At Kalabagh, his main job is to deal with his son’s Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Tilak is also a published writer and has his own fan following in the poetry world – something that helps in our scripts too. While in service, Tilak was famous for bringing efficiency in organisations using his critical thinking and deep knowledge of IT & Law – still holds the state record for most number of departmental enquiries resolved! He continues to provide consultancy to those in need (charges a bomb if you’ve messed up bad!).
Tushar Bhojwani
Cameraman/AP
First time operating a long-lens, filmed a tiger hunting successfully! Yes, we all thought it was beginner’s luck, but thankfully for him, no. Started off his career winning awards for still photography, Tushar is currently a student of Science & Natural History filmmaking at the National Film & Television School, London but remains a true Bhopali at heart – crafty, sarcastic and sleeps like a log. We are all waiting for him to finish his course, have a spiritual epiphany and head back to India soon – for our sake, not his.
Mukesh Kumar Mahato
Cameraman/Editor Macro Photography enthusiast and former Green Hub fellow, Mukesh is someone not easily impressed - by anything in general. But hand him the camera and leave him in a forest, and he'll return with beautiful visuals and a keen eye for detail. As an editor, he's "Resolved" to making pre-edits and sizzle reels quicker than you can finish your tea. And he doesn't drink tea.
Digpal Singh
Consultant/Field Producer
His low rumble matches that of a tiger, yet he likes to keep calm like a gentle giant. “Diggi”, as he’s fondly called, keeps everyone and everything in the field in balance, nevertheless. Having started with India Safaris as an expert tour leader, Digpal is in the field of managing shoots for blue-chip Natural History projects since more than 25 years.
Nipun Prabhakar
Creative Writer/Photographer
When he's around, ChatGPT can go type itself a resignation letter. With an illustrious portfolio that includes being published in New York Times and The Washington Post, Nipun is also the founder of Dhammada Collective, a design group working towards a conscious, sustainable and equitable world.
Shatarchi Hundet
Sound Recordist/Mixing Engineer
If I tell you the number of years we've been working together, it would give your hair a curl. More than his, I bet. Shatarchi a.k.a. “Kittu” is a prodigal guitarist and a truly gifted Sound Engineer and has a long list of viral hits from the film industry to his name. Kittu is also our Sound Recordist in the field and loves his collection of microphones as much as langurs love bananas.
Amit Kumar Gor
DIT/Camera Assistant
Even though he's single, Amit never fails to double-up as an off-line editor. Having worked for 10 years with Doordarshan and a leading documentary filmmaker, he knows his way around camera equipment and footage too well. Mostly aloof, Amit is a man of few words but many talents.
Awards, Recognitions, Published/Featured In
