'In Search of Kasturi' is the first ever Indian film made about the Himalayan musk deer.
Hunted nearly to extinction by human greed, this mystical creature is fast disappearing. Filmmaker Neha Dixit, who has made her home in Uttarakhand, and her team set out to find this elusive creature. Navigating the stunning and challenging landscape of the Indian Himalayas, the film embarks on a journey filled with curiosity and longing to uncover the secrets of these mountains. Their ultimate encounter with the musk deer becomes a poignant reminder of the beauty and fragility of our natural world and the urgent need to protect it.
About the Director
Neha Dixit is a filmmaker with 20 years of experience making visual stories and documentary films. She creates narratives in an attempt to understand the possibilities of sustenance; economic, environmental, and social. Her life and work are driven by choices that are gentle on Earth.
Our film captures the essence of a journey in pursuit of an ancient, mysterious and scarcely documented creature. Initially drawn by its elusive reputation and an existence spanning 25 million years, my curiosity was piqued upon realising the lack of visual documentation on this creature.
Despite its endangered status on the IUCN red list, there's a paucity of recent population estimates. The last study from the 1990s suggests only 600-800 individuals in Uttarakhand, where our film is set.
Thus, finding the musk deer presented challenges, but also clues to its rhythm and habitation. Being told by everyone that chances of finding the animal are impossible, and then seeing and filming it through seasons, made me feel a special connection to the species. It made me think that perhaps because we know so little, we also care so little about this elusive species. As the intersection of poaching, habitat degradation and climate change is threatening its existence, our film seeks to raise awareness of the musk deer as more than just a fragrance trapped in a bottle — it's a living, breathing being on the brink of extinction.
About Roundglass Sustain
RoundGlass Sustain is a not-for-profit initiative telling stories of India's natural world to document science, create awareness, and support conservation. Their films explore narratives about India's wildlife, their habitats, and the changes wrought by climate change and environmental distress. At the heart of these films are stories of shared spaces where people and wildlife coexist, thriving despite contradictions. Rooted in scientific research, the films use compelling storytelling to simplify complex concepts, engaging and motivating audiences.
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