Where the Forest Roars is a 51- minute feature documentary  that delves into the gripping conflict between humans and wild Asian elephants along the Eastern Himalaya in India. The film takes the audience on a compelling journey, shedding light on the coexistence challenges faced by both species, and the efforts towards conservation and harmony.

The inspiration for Where the Forest Roars began in 2018, when I first traveled to North Bengal and witnessed the deep entanglement of people and elephants along the foothills of the eastern Himalaya. I was struck by how little of this story had reached the outside world — not just the tragedy of human–elephant conflict, but also the extraordinary resilience, empathy, and coexistence I found in the communities living with wild elephants for generations.

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As a writer, I had spent years exploring our relationship with the natural world — but standing in the tea gardens and forest fringes of North Bengal, hearing people describe nights spent listening for elephants moving in the dark, I realized the story needed to be seen and heard, not only read. That’s when the idea for the film took root.

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Where the Forest Roars grew out of my desire to bridge worlds — to connect the scientific, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of coexistence, and to give voice to those who live daily with this tension between beauty and danger. The film is part of my larger project, Asian Elephants: From Conflict to Coexistence, which includes my book Elephants in the Hourglass. Together, they reflect years of fieldwork, collaboration, and a hope that sharing these stories might foster empathy, awareness, and real support for the people and elephants of this region.

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Ultimately, I was inspired by the forests themselves — their sounds, silences, and the unseen intelligence moving within them. The roar of the forest is both a warning and a call to listen.