As Sir David Attenborough turns 100 on May 8, 2026, his influence extends far beyond the United Kingdom. In India, a nation of staggering biodiversity and complex conservation challenges, Attenborough’s work has inspired generations of naturalists, filmmakers, scientists, and storytellers.
The Hindu spoke with Indian conservationists, wildlife experts, authors, and filmmakers to reflect on how Attenborough changed the way Indians see the natural world — and what comes next.
Jairam Ramesh: Attenborough and Indira Gandhi’s Circle
Rajya Sabha MP and former Union Minister for Environment and Forests
“David Attenborough was part of Indira Gandhi’s circle of naturalists.”
Ramesh recalls that in 2019, during his acceptance speech for the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, Attenborough shared a memory from the early 1960s — he had driven Indira Gandhi to Birmingham, and they discussed how television could be used for education and public communication.
On the future:
“If Attenborough’s century was about seeing the natural world, the coming century is about saving it. That requires mainstreaming his ideas in political discourse. Those who stand by his ideas must also oppose projects such as the ecologically disastrous Great Nicobar Project that the Union government is pushing.”
Stephen Alter: Science as Storytelling
Author, ‘The Cobra’s Gaze: Exploring India’s Wild Heritage’
“Anyone who writes about biodiversity today cannot ignore David Attenborough’s work as a naturalist, author and television host. What has influenced me most is the way in which he presents science, particularly biology, as an act of storytelling.”
Alter, born in Mussoorie and of American descent, emphasizes that Attenborough avoids anthropomorphising species while still narrating compelling tales that capture the imagination.
Neha Sinha: Nuance, Population Comments, and Rights of Nature
Conservation biologist and author of ‘Wild Capital’
Sinha offers a balanced perspective — praising Attenborough’s work while critiquing one aspect:
“David Attenborough’s comments on reducing population in what he described as ‘Asia and Africa’ appeared careless and tone deaf. As he calls for nuance in the way we look at a creature, we need a similar nuance for the places that host many of these creatures: the developing world.”
What she admires:
“David’s persistent work on creating appreciation for biodiversity – including wildlife that is seen as odd, venomous, slimy, ugly – is pathbreaking. He asks only for your attention as he tells you why something unloved is worth valuing, even loving.”
Sinha connects this approach to the Rights of Nature movement — accepting an animal “with all its bristles, characteristics, and its inalienable right to thrive.”
Ranjit Lal: Breadth, Optimism, and Climate Change
Nature and wildlife writer and author
Lal has watched many of Attenborough’s programmes and owns books like Living Planet and The Life of Birds.
| Quality | Lal’s Observation |
|---|---|
| Breadth | “Everything from the bottom of the ocean to the top of the sky” |
| Research | “Very well researched” |
| Storytelling | “A very good storyteller” |
| Optimism | Ends on hope — “we are in a bad way, but we can still do better” |
| Cinematography | Deep-sea cameras, drones, termite den close-ups |
“He had to go into that (climate change) — that we (humans) are causing it.”
Lal advises: “One should sit down with a notebook and take notes from his programmes.”
Sandesh Kadur: A Filmmaker’s Inspiration
Wildlife film producer and conservation photographer
Kadur remembers his father bringing home the Life on Earth VHS cassette. Since then, he has watched almost everything Attenborough made.
| Documentary | Impact |
|---|---|
| Life on Earth | First memory |
| Planet Earth 1 & 2 | Marine iguana vs. racer snakes sequence |
| Life of Birds | — |
| Life in the Undergrowth | — |
| Ocean (2025) | Showed how daily habits affect oceans |
“Sir David filmed in Rajasthan and other parts of India, exposing beautiful stories of co-existence — of how animals and people live in this precarious balance.”
“Whenever I’m out somewhere remote for filming, his voice is always in my head.”
Rohan Chakravarty: The Same Spark for Every Creature
Cartoonist and columnist, ‘Green Humour’
“The most profound aspect about his presentation for me is that the spark of enthusiasm a wild animal brought in his eyes was just the same, whether it was a bug or a fox, a mole or a gorilla, and whether he was in his 40s or his 90s!”
Romulus Whitaker: Meeting the Legend
Herpetologist and conservationist
In 2005, Whitaker received a Whitley Fund for Nature award for establishing the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station in South India. He also had the honour of meeting Sir David.
“I remember his question to me: ‘I’m not comfortable with venomous snakes, and I wonder how you can be so casual with king cobras; they seem so alien, how do you get across to them?'”
Whitaker also asked Attenborough about commissioning Monty Python’s Flying Circus for BBC Two in 1969.
“He said ‘Yes, people were looking for something wacky and there it was.'”
Anita Mani: A Late but Lasting Encounter
Editor, birder and founder of Indian Pitta
Mani discovered Attenborough “quite late” — when her young son took to wildlife instinctively.
“I love The Life of Birds because the series made me see birds in a whole new way — and they catalysed our thinking about the natural world, the diversity of species, and the human impact on wildlife.”
What she would ask Attenborough today:
“What his vision for the next 100 years is. He is nothing if not a realist, and I would very much like to know what he thinks is the path back to keeping the planet together.”
A stark warning:
“If we don’t want his videos to become archaeological artifacts, we need to change course, and fast.”
Asad Rahmani: Global Moral Authority
Ornithologist and former director of BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society)
Rahmani has been interested in the environment since age 12. He first watched Attenborough in the 1980s when TVs became common in Indian homes.
“What is amazing about his work is that he covered almost all the species, not only the glamorous large vertebrates.”
“Attenborough’s is a singular voice… I feel not many people will have his global moral authority in the future.”
On India’s unique conservation model:
“In India, we have to find our own conservation model because there are hardly any areas where there is no human presence. But interestingly, our traditions, culture and religions also help us make room for wildlife.”
Parveen Shaikh: Inspiring Armies of Young Conservationists
Scientist at BNHS, Whitley Award winner 2026
Shaikh won the 2026 Whitley Award (Green Oscars) for her work conserving the endangered Indian skimmer along the Chambal River.
“Sir David Attenborough was one of the wildlife and environment communicators who inspired me to become a conservationist.”
“Sometimes it is just as important to show the pristine beauty of nature to inspire people into getting involved in conservation.”
She notes that the future of conservation initiatives will need communities to have a much greater say.
Summary: Attenborough’s Indian Legacy
| Contributor | Key Reflection |
|---|---|
| Jairam Ramesh | Attenborough was in Indira Gandhi’s circle; next century is about saving nature |
| Stephen Alter | Science as storytelling, without anthropomorphism |
| Neha Sinha | Praises inclusivity of ‘unloved’ species, critiques population comments |
| Ranjit Lal | Breadth, optimism, climate focus, educational value |
| Sandesh Kadur | A filmmaker’s lifelong inspiration; Ocean (2025) made global impact |
| Rohan Chakravarty | Same enthusiasm for bug or gorilla, across decades |
| Romulus Whitaker | Personal meeting; Attenborough commissioned Monty Python |
| Anita Mani | The Life of Birds catalysed family’s thinking; “don’t let his videos become artifacts” |
| Asad Rahmani | Global moral authority; India needs its own conservation model |
| Parveen Shaikh | Inspired her Whitley Award-winning career |
From Wonder to Action
David Attenborough’s century was about seeing the natural world with fresh eyes — whether through the lens of a deep-sea camera, the den of a termite, or the chase of a marine iguana.
The coming century, as Jairam Ramesh puts it, must be about saving it.
From the Chambal River to the Himalayas, from cartoonists to herpetologists, Attenborough’s voice echoes in the work of Indians who have taken up the cause of conservation. His greatest legacy may not be the documentaries themselves — but the armies of young conservationists they inspired.
Happy 100th birthday, Sir David.
