Chief Forest Officer G. Harikumar IFS on Tuesday launched the CD of Life for Lives, a documentary on forest watcher Kannan directed by Roshni Rose, by handing it over to noted filmmaker and cinematographer Venu at Kalabhavan theatre in Thiruvananthapuram.
Life for Lives showcases Kannan's passion and commitment towards wildlife conservation. Kannan hails from Bengal. His grandfather was a construction worker of Mullapperiyar dam and subsequently his family settled in Kerala. His father also dedicated his life to protect wildlife. Kannan was selected for the Madhavan Pillai Conservation Award-2011 instituted by The Madhavan Pillai Foundation for Conservation. He has also received the Sanctuary Asia award.
Speaking to Onmanorama after the launch of her documentary, Roshni Rose said: “This is a film on a very special person. Kannan has been working at the Periyar tiger reserve for over 35 years now. He has put his maximum effort in the forest department's conservation efforts. He has exceptional knowledge about the flora and fauna in the forest. World should know the existence of such people. Hope this film will inspire others to become a part of wildlife conservation.”
Shedding light on the efforts she put in this project, Roshni said she had to wait for one whole year to get sanctions from the Wildlife Department. She also conducted detailed research on the Periyar Tiger Reserve and nearby forest areas.
Roshni's husband, Ajosh Parackan, is the cinematographer of Life for Lives. She hopes this film will inspire others to understand the importance of conservation and motivate them to do their bit towards nature conservation. Forest deputy director Sanjayan Kumar and wildlife photographer N.A. Naseer also attended the function.