05/06/2026
Happy World Environment Day from a camera crew that accidentally became part-time botanists & full-time mosquito targets!
Swipe through to see what it actually looks like when you try to film a cinematic nature documentary in the middle of Pune’s bustling urban sprawl.
SPOILER ALERT!!
It involves a lot less glamorous Hollywood directing and a lot more hiding in the bushes praying a rare bird doesn’t judge our lens choices.
When we teamed up with to shoot our latest film about the historic Empress Garden, we knew we had a massive responsibility. This 180-year-old sanctuary is essentially the green lungs keeping our concrete jungle breathing. But capturing the soul of a living, breathing ecosystem means you have to throw the traditional production schedule out the window and let nature call the shots.
Here is the unpolished reality behind those gorgeous 4K frames:
**The 5:00 AM Stakeouts:**
The birds were awake. The expert WYSE MEDIA crew was heavily caffeinated. And the local insect population was absolutely thrilled to welcome us to their buffet line.
**The Archives Before the Aperture:**
A perfect script is earned. We spent weeks absorbing historical data from Senior Historian Ketaki Godbole and deep botanical secrets from Senior Botanist Medhavi Rajwade just to make sure we knew the exact story behind every ancient root and canopy.
**Chasing the Perfect Geometry:**
Documentary filmmaking in a jungle environment takes serious grit. Our team spent days tracking shifting shadows and composing shots specifically to contrast the tranquil, timeless peace of the garden against the aggressive modernization happening right outside the gates.
At .in, we love the craft of filmmaking because it forces us to slow down, get our boots a little muddy, and look at the things a fast-paced world easily overlooks. Protecting our environment starts with appreciating it, and we hope this film reminds everyone why Pune’s natural heritage is worth fighting for.
Head over to the link in bio to watch the final, polished documentary (where we cropped out the bug spray and dark circles under our eyes) 🥲
