Chasing Wings

A new documentary puts the spotlight on the remarkable life and work of Isaac Kehimkar, the 'Butterfly Man of India'

- -Priya Pathiyan

The Dutch documentary filmmakers Sem Jones and Dennis Van Ooijen were busy filming in Maharashtra last year. Their documentary, The Butterfly Man of India, which is almost ready to hit the festival circuit now, centres around Isaac David Kehimkar, one of the country's premier experts on lepidoptera, especially butterflies. After a lot of to and fro online, the duo landed in Mumbai and headed to the hills of Karjat where he lives. “The film is about me and the butterflies, and me using butterflies to make people fall in love with nature,” says Kehimkar. What was special, he observes, was that they had him record his commentary in Marathi and have used it as is with English subtitles.