Bedi Brothers have given voice to the India’s rich environmental, cultural and religious heritage through a series of acclaimed television films since 1970’s. Their main goal is to highlight before the world, the magnificent aesthetic and natural wealth of India.

Senior Bedi Brothers, have worked together as filmmakers and photographers for over 40 years. They have traveled to the remotest corner of India to produce pictorial books and films on the cultural and natural heritage of the country. They have in fact risked their very lives several times to achieve these goals.

Naresh Bedi is also called Indian answers to Jane Goodall & Sir David Attenborough, who have spend their enter life to spread conservation message. He made numerous self funded natural history films when no body gave any notice to reducing Indian biodiversity. Bedi Brothers took Indian wildlife films to international platform.

After producing first natural history film of India’s on Ganges Gharials and show the people across the world about species heading towards extinction in late 70’s, the film spread huge awareness. Naresh Bedi has received several national & international acclaim.

Naresh Bedi is first and only Indian to get 2 wildlife film nominations from British Academy Awards (BAFTA) equivalent of OSCAR. He is also first Asian & Indian to won the GREEN OSCAR for Best Wildlife Cinematographer at the International Wildlife Film and Television Festival, "Wildscreen 1984".

Their wildlife photos and footage while spreading a strong conservation message have also made significant contributions to the subcontinent’s natural history.

Contribution to Natural History of the Sub-continent

Bedi Films on their path-breaking trail of filming Indian wildlife have been fortunate on several occasions to unearth unknown facts, contributed to the scientific knowledge of the sub-continent's natural history. Some, more significant of these contributions are :

First photo-film record of reproductive behavior of the Gharial – 1984
First photo-film record of tiger behaviors such as predation on leopards and simultaneous nursing successive litters by tigresses – 1984-85
First photo-film record of the bar-headed geese breeding behavior and became first to boat in the high altitude lake Tso Morari at sixteen thousand feet above sea level – 1990
First photo-film record of the Tibetan Wild dogs – 1991-92
First photo-film record of the natural history of the dholes, the Indian Wild Dog-1993
First photo-film record of Himalayan Lynx an uncommon and elusive animal-1994
First photo-Film record of Snow leopard fast approaching extinction in India – 1994
First photo-film record of two male tigers mating with same tigress in the other’s presence, filmed in Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh – 2002
First film record of the natural behavior of Red Pandas in their natural habitat – 2006

"Centre for Media Studies (CMS) conferred the Prithvi Ratna (Jewel of the Earth) Award to wildlife filmmaker Naresh Bedi This award is in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to wildlife filmmaking and natural history over the last three decades. His work has indeed been instrumental in spreading the conservation message and enhancing the knowledge and understanding of wildlife and natural history of the Indian sub continent.

The award was instituted in 2003 by CMS in recognition to extraordinary contribution to filmmaking on India’s wildlife and natural history. The award is endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)."

Naresh was recently awarded The Whale Award for Outstanding Contribution to Wildlife Filmmaking, at Wildlife Asia Film Festival, Singapore. The Festival has the support of Singapore Tourism board (STB) attract about 250 natural filmmakers and broadcasters from 21 countries and regions.

Contribution to Wildlife Filming Techniques

The Bedi Brothers designed, and successfully used a 10ft. higher tripod - the Elephant Tripod in 1984 to film wild tigers. This is a special tripod, of the height of a riding elephant, for a filmmaker to operate his camera in presence of dangerous animal using riding elephant. Elephants find it impossible to remain completely still in the presence of a tiger or may even move away from the camera at a particular crucial movement.

Therefore, Naresh and Rajesh Bedi designed a revolving seat to the elephant tripod, for the cameraman to post himself on the tripod after a tiger had been located for filming. Once he shifted to this seat, the elephant is free to relax and the cameraman can film some perfect footage of the tiger. It is only because of the Elephant Tripod, the Bedi Brothers could obtain exquisite sequences of a tigress with young cubs in the Kanha National Park in India. The Elephant Tripod designed by the Bedi Brothers has now become an absolute necessity for any important filming on tigers.

Recent Red Panda Film for Conservation
Bedi Brothers film production “Cherub of the Mist or Return of the Firecat” carries strong massage of red panda conservation which created awareness about the animal when no one in India and across the world had any idea of its lonely battle of survival

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb bhattacharya said, "Bedi Film has apprised forest department officials of the issue and has motivated us to take effective measures to protect the highly endangered Red Pandas from extinction". His plans included, fencing a long stretch of forest towards the open boarder of Nepal to protect poaching of bamboo from the red panda habitat.

All this indeed makes the Bedi's dream come true, as the messages of conservation are spread among millions and millions of people giving them a real glimpse of the slowly vanishing beauty of the natural world, which will indeed motivate them to conserve this beautiful heritage of flora and fauna. Indians should feel proud to have such a beautiful animal as "Indian Red panda". They are pride for the nation, and they with the help of their film are working to conserve this national heritage.

Bedi Family Making A Difference

Bedi Brothers got involved in making wildlife, environment & culture documentaries because they wanted to make a difference. Environment film is about changing the world, other documentary may be about entertainment or some kind of education but entertainment, education and changing public policy and people behavior so we can save environment.  

Filmmakers have to be resourceful and determined. As have to make wildlife and environment films under increasable and harsh conditions, with huge wind, rain, snow blazers and rough weather. While making natural history film on Red panda, we have a shot of red panda courtship behavior, as Red Pandas mate only single day in entire 365 days. That particular day was coldest day in that entire winter and we could  film in most incredible hard circumstances, may be we would have not got that short if had given up!

Filming wildlife involves enormous amount of passion, which we have learn seeing our late grandfather and then father going on their filming trips. You can go on for weeks without seeing any wildlife but once you see them it’s just a mater of knowing them well, as any other human being.

Through our various wildlife, environment and culture film we teach viewer the importance of this demising biodiversity. In a way films can play very important role in people’s education and life.

Bedi family is also spending time to show films in different school and university, such as in Delhi St. Stephen’s College , Shri Ram School and many more around India to teach young children to respect and spread conservation message in future generation.

We want our films to talk about not only conservation but ethics. It is very important to not harass and disturb wildlife in wild when you are in there habitat to film them. We use our documentaries as an example to show way we did it, the way we got close to tigers or elephant without harassing them. We see children from as young as 8 and as old as 22 years old asking us question and seeing them so enthusiastic and interested in wildlife motivates us immensely.

The main message we want to impart with as many people as we can is environment is very important. We need clean and healthy environment, our children or grand children are not going to be happy if they don’t have clean water and sustainable land around themselves. It’s important and worth working for and even worth spending your life for it.