'Wild Karnataka': HC temporarily restrains makers from selling, broadcasting film

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has issued an interim order disallowing the makers of the documentary film Wild Karnataka from marketing, selling, distributing or airing the film in any manner till August 3.

Hearing a petition filed by Ravindra N Redkar, a native of Joida taluk in Uttara Kannada district and others, the division bench headed by Chief Justice Justice Abhay Shreenivas Oka has ordered the filmmakers from publishing, reproducing, broadcasting, telecasting, marketing, selling, distributing and exhibiting or in any way dealing with the film Wild Karnataka including the raw footage.

“The respondents 5 to 9 should be restrained from publishing, distributing, reproducing, broadcasting, telecasting, marketing, selling and exhibiting the film known as ‘Wild Karnataka’ or India’s Wild Karnataka/or any part of it or the raw footage captured by the respondent 5 to 9 and their team under the Memorandum of Understanding dated on November 3, 2014,” the order said.

The HC has also issued notice to Additional Chief Secretary, Govt of Karnataka, Forest Environment and Ecology Department, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, head of Forest Force and PCCF wildlife and chief wildlife warden with directions to appear before the court in person or be represented by an advocate.

The one-hour documentary film narrated by British broadcaster and natural historian Sir David Attenborough was first shown to the public in 2019. The filming was done in forest areas across Karnataka with the help of the state Forest Department. The filmmakers shot on the field in Honnavar, Bidar, Sharavathi, Koppal, Hampi, Siruguppa, Bhadra Tiger Reserve, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, BRT, Nagarahole, Agumbe, Bhimgad and Daroji.