For those who dreamt of roaming the wilderness, fantasised about seeing lions, zebras and elephants in natural habitat, Anil Damle’s documentary Safari, capturing wildlife amongst the amazing landscape of Kenya, would be a treat worth exploring. The documentary was released at the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) on Sunday. “Safari is a compilation of video footage shot during the last two years, on personal video equipment while on regular game drives in various national parks in Kenya. All the content has been recorded from a tourist’s perspective,” says Anil Damle.

“In the documentary, the footage of capturing millions of flamingoes in the lake of Nakuru was one of many breathtaking moments and we are lucky to witness the migration of a million wildebeest (gnu). These wildebeest migrate from the vast Serengeti plains in Tanzania to the coloured hills of Kenya’s Masai Mara. The shot where thousands of them jumped into the Mara River, struggling to cross it, is very close to me. The life of these animals is an endless pilgrimage, constantly in search of food and water, ” he adds.

John Waveru, driver-guide of Damle and a true bushman of Kenya, came to the city for the DVD release function and shared his experience of filming the documentary. “Capturing the hunting of a buffalo by three lions close to the roadside is a rare occurrence. The footage was taken in extreme proximity to the animals rather than observing it through binoculars from afar,” says Waveru.

Atul Kulkarni, acclaimed film and theatre actor, also addressed the gathering on the occasion. “This DVD has outstanding footage and it is amazing that such exquisite shots were compiled in two years. The contribution of Waveru is phenomenal in taking the car to the right spot, at the right time. The shots taken by Anil Damle are simply brilliant,” said Kulkarni. “The jungles teach us a lot about life,” he added.

Damle began his traveling endeavors from equatorial Africa and has travelled extensively around the globe. He is well-known as nature and wildlife author and photographer. His book Kenyan Safari was adjudged as the best book on tourism in 1996.