“Sunderbans is a heavenly location but we had the smell of danger all around us” – Abis Rizvi
In a shocking incident that occurred in the Sundarbans area of West Bengal, a fisherman was snatched by one of the tigers, famous for their notoriety when he was fishing in a prohibited area close to the Sunderbans forest. According to reports, the tiger leaped several feet into the air and snatched the full grown man in a flash. His daughter felt like they had been struck by lightning. The man was with his two children who watched on helplessly as the Tiger leaped across the boat, clutched their father by the throat and disappeared into the dense forest. It is unlikely that his body will be recovered, like many before him.
If one thinks the tigers are the only threat in the Sunderbans, they are wrong. This area is home to killer crocodiles as well. A day after the fisherman was killed by the tiger, an old woman met a similar fate after being attacked by a crocodile. This time, however, her mangled body was recovered by officials.
Incidents like these that reflect the power struggle between man and beast is the premise of ‘Roar – Tigers Of The Sunderbans’, a film by Abis Rizvi and Kamal Sadanah. The film is an ode to the beauty and terror that the royal tiger of the Sundarbans instills in people. For Abis, this incident hit close to home. He says, “Reading about this unfortunate incident took me back to our Sunderbans shoot where we were a crew of 150 staying on ships for 40 days and shooting in the core territory. It’s an amazing dichotomy that such a heavenly location had the smell of danger all around us.”
Roar showcases the man-animal conflict like never before seen in Indian cinema. 800 special effects and stunning aerial shots help capture the true essence of the largest tiger reserve in the country.
Roar – Tigers Of The Sundarbans, is produced by Abis Rizvi Films and is slated to hit screens in India on September 5th.
