This is an archive article published on July 6, 2017

A Fearful Symmetry

What happens when tigers are forced into human territory? Krishnendu Bose investigates in his National Award-winning film

4 min readJul 6, 2017 01:22 AM IST

Krishnendu Bose, The Tiger Who Crossed the Line, National award winner, Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, Documentary films, Indian express

A still from the film

Having followed and filmed wild tigers all my life, I set out on an adventurous journey across India to track the tigers outside (forest reserves) and piece together a story that, for the first time, takes a close look at their secret lives,” says Krishnendu Bose about the idea that resulted in his National Award-winning film, The Tiger Who Crossed the Line.

Famous sanctuaries are home to India’s remaining tigers, but one in three of the big cats lives outside the borders, on land where humans have stayed for generations. It is a forced and uneasy marriage. The Tiger Who Crossed the Line explores how both sides make it work — and when it doesn’t. If an early shot in the film is of a tiger sitting in a swamp with fire and fear in its eyes, the following minutes spell out the human cost. In Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district, where Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is located, 150 people are dead, crops have been damaged and cattle have been killed.

“Man-animal conflict is going to be the number one problem in conservation. It is already a problem in rural areas and is affecting cities too. I have a house in Uttarakhand’s fruit belt, where plum and apricot grow, and people are selling off their land because of the destruction caused by monkeys. The whole economy has gone down. In West Bengal, the damage caused by elephants became an election issue as Mamata Banerjee handed out compensation for lives and crops lost,” says Bose, 55.

At the film’s screenings, people almost always share their own experiences of conflict with animals, from wild boars in Himachal Pradesh to leopards in India’s silicon city of Bangalore. “I made a film on the tiger because people like to see and read about tigers, but the intention was to create awareness about a wider crisis,” says Bose.

From Ramnagar on the borders of Jim Corbett National Park, to Pilibhit Tiger Reserve and the Sundarbans — Bose was on the road for six months before he stretched his travel further to the long tiger corridor of central India. “Tigers are ferociously territorial. The moment the capacity of a reserve reaches its ceiling, new tigers are pushed out. Tigers who cross the line, find themselves in a critical situation outside,” says Bose.

The Tiger Who Crossed the Line is the last of the trilogy that started with Tiger – The Death Chronicles, about the reasons the animal is in danger in India. The Forgotten Tigers, which turned the camera on how tigers grapple with life outside protected reserves, can be called the prequel to the new film. Bose’s obsession with tiger conservation began after he visited reserves with his wife, also a filmmaker. He watched a documentary on elephants and “wanted to do the same stuff”.

Filmmaker Krishnendu Bose

In the film, Bose takes his audience on the trip. Beautiful landscapes are captured in shots that tease the eye with the presence of danger. In overhead images, the Sundarbans is a verdant carpet patterned by a winding river. When he follows a kill, Bose tells the camera: “To dive into the undergrowth with a tiger lurking nearby is sure adrenaline-thumping.”

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Some of the most outstanding scenes are of the cats at night, their eyes burning on screen. “It was very difficult, I have to confess. The tigers venture into villages at night, so we had infra-red cameras and a network of villagers to track and film them,” says Bose. The Tiger Who Crossed the Line could be a travelogue, did it not concern itself with a life-and-death situation.

Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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