https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Vidya Balan Meets `Real Shernis’ of Madhya Pradesh Forest Department

Leading Bollywood actress Vidya Balan who essayed the role of a spirited forest officer in her latest film `Sherni’ (the tigress) recently held an interaction with 25 women officers of Madhya Pradesh Forest Department. Acknowledging their big help in making her understand and grasp the nuances of her role, she said these officers were the real `shernis’ who were instrumental in protecting India’s forests and wildlife.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Very rarely do reel and real life collide. But when they do, sparks fly and people sit up and take notice. Something like this happened recently after the release of Hindi film `Sherni’, which opened to critical acclaim and brought to sharp relief the age old man-animal conflict in India.

In a unique gesture, the producers of `Sherni’ (the tigress) which starred top Hindi actress Vidya Balan have tipped their hat to what they acknowledge as the real heroines of our forests: that it, the woman forest officials. Days after the release of Sherni, Ms Vidya Balan held a virtual interaction with 25 officials of Madhya Pradesh forest department.

IT’S A TOUGH AND CHALLENGING JOB: VIDYA BALAN

As the film `Sherni’ was mainly shot in the forests of Madhya Pradesh, particularly Balaghat and its surrounding jungles, Ms Balan thought it fit to interact with the women forest officers of the state. She admitted candidly that she learnt a lot about forests and life of forests officials only after her interaction with them while filming. “It’s a very tough and challenging job, and I salute you all for protecting our wildlife and conserving our forests,’’ she said.

Range Officer Sita Jamra with a tranquilised tiger

The hour long interaction saw the forest officials recounting exciting- and at times unnerving- aspects of their work. Ms Sita Jamra, posted as range officer in Kanha Tiger Reserve, is a real-life expert on rescue operation of endangered animals. As she recalled, her first such encounter happened with a bear who had fallen into a well. “We rescued the bear, but instead of proceeding to the forests, it charged on us. It was a very tough situation, and we saved our lives by the skin of our teeth,’’she said.

Of late, the tiger has been become a major attraction for a large number of tourists and wildlife photographers. Jungle safaris have become quite popular all over the country, and Madhya Pradesh, often called the tiger state of India, is no exception. But alas, how little we know of the grinding back-end work, often hidden from the public gaze, which goes into the protection of this magnificent big cat.

Rescuing Indian rock python. For a woman forest officer, it’s all in a days work

TRACKING TIGERS IS A FULL-TIME WORK

Dr Ruhi Haq, an officer posted in a forest range of MP which has 40-45 tigers, explained the situation. “Where I am posted,’’ she revealed, “there is quite a lot of tiger movement. At times, a tiger starts frequenting the same pond where the villagers’ cattle go to quench their thirst, it moves on the same path where villagers also move. Now this can be problematic, and we have to ensure the safety of both the tigers and the people. At all times, we know the location of our tigers. If one of them goes missing for 4-5 days, we launch a combing operation to track it down.’’

Another officer, Ms Anjana S Tirke, recalled how a gang of poachers once killed a tiger by electrocuting it. “It was a tough case to crack, but we took help of a dog squad and nabbed the culprits,’’ she said.

Also present in the interaction was the managing director of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, Mr Shiv Shekhar Shukla. The film Sherni, he said, was a fitting tribute to the efforts being put by the women forest officials of the state to protect the tigers and other wildlife. “It is mainly because of their hard work that our forests and wildlife are safe and secure,’’ he added.

The interaction ended on a happy note, with a beaming Ms Balan and the women forest officials of Madhya Pradesh congratulating each other. In this age and time when film actors are obsessed only with their own self-promotion, ably aided by agencies which have honed click-baiting into a fine art, Ms Balan’s gesture is particularly heartening. After all, how many times do we see an actor acknowledging- let alone paying homage to- his or her muse?


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
Devendra Kumar Tiwari Alka Tiwari  IAS Jharkhand
First IAS Couple in India to Hold Both Chief Secretary & State Election Commissioner Posts Consecutively - Know This Powerful Pair
Policing, Trust, and Investment: Insights from IPF - Indian Masterminds
Indian Police Foundation Marks 10 Years, Discussion on How Policing Builds Investor Confidence
Madhya Pradesh football training
Mini Brazil to Germany: Vicharpur’s Young Footballers Get CM Mohan Yadav’s Blessings on Vijayadashami Week
bureaucracy news
Centre Announces Key Bureaucratic Appointments & Deputation Extensions: Neeraj Surendran, Arun G, Anand Mohan Among Key Names
PM Modi CM Nitish Kumar
Bihar Receives Rs. 10,219 Crore from Centre: A Festive Gift On Vijayadashami to Fuel Development & Welfare, Backed by GST Reforms
Chhattisgarh government
Chhattisgarh CM Charts Development Roadmap: Push for Capital Expenditure, Biometric Attendance, & Transparent Governance
Vishnu Deo Sai CM
Chhattisgarh Gets Rs. 3,462 Crore Boost from Modi Government: Here's How CM Sai Pledges To Spend It!
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
How Siddhartha Saxena Cracked UPSC CAPF AIR 326 Against All Odds
Dr. S.K
Technology Meets Ecology: IFS Dr S K Srivastava’s Game-Changing Innovations in Forest Management | Eco Warrior Awards 2025 Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Live Interaction
From Cut-off Dates to Coaching & Reforms: UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Assures Aspirants of Fairness, Transparency & a Future-Ready UPSC | UPSC@100
A Century of Service: The UPSC’s Landmark Year Begins. Chairman Ajay Kumar on UPSC’s Centennial: “Merit,...
Giriraj Parihar MPPSC 2024
From Constable to Deputy Collector: Giriraj Parihar’s 9-Year MPPSC Journey | Farmer’s Son, Brother to Five Sisters
From a jail guard to MPPSC 2024 Rank 8, Giriraj Parihar’s nine-year journey of self-study, hard work,...
Ankit MPPSC 2024 Rank 3
From Village Dreams to Deputy Collector’s Chair: Meet Ankit, MPPSC Rank 3 Hindi Medium Topper
Ankit, a Hindi-medium aspirant from Balaghat, secured Rank 3 in MPPSC 2024 and became Deputy Collector...
Social Media
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
Devendra Kumar Tiwari Alka Tiwari  IAS Jharkhand
First IAS Couple in India to Hold Both Chief Secretary & State Election Commissioner Posts Consecutively - Know This Powerful Pair
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
Dr. S.K
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT