Babban, Babli and the healing power of wilderness

Babban during the day, Babli by night... Neel Soni’s debut documentary is a sensitive portrayal of a Muslim transgender who works as a forest guard in the jungles of Uttarakhand. ‘Babli by Night’ made it to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Student Awards longlist and bagged a spot among the top 20 in the documentary category. While it did not make it to the shortlist, it was the only Indian nominee at the awards, the winners of which will be announced on June 13.

Neel Soni, 23 years old, recalls when he first met Babban. “The very first day I met Babban, he was this forest guard, looking very authoritative in his uniform. The same evening, he was in a salwar-kameez, dancing happily. That moment stayed with me. It revealed a layered, deeply human story that was yearning to be seen, heard and told. I was fascinated not just by the duality of Babban’s life, but by how nature played a profound role in shaping and healing his identity. I related to that sense of feeling more centered, more myself in the wilderness,” says Neel, who is also a wildlife photographer. There’s a touching scene where Babban expresses his desire to be free from societal conditioning and impositions and be accepted for who he truly is. The misty backdrop and the brilliant cinematography deep into the woods lend their own charisma to this ‘slice-of-life’ story. When the protagonist discovers that he is HIV positive, it further compounds his hardships and nature becomes his only refuge.

Neel says ‘Babli by Night’ is about the transformative power of nature and its impact on the human mind. “We knew we were stepping into a space that’s often misunderstood, so we were constantly asking ourselves how to be respectful, how to listen more than we spoke. It wasn’t about trying to capture something provocative; it was about being present, being honest, and holding space for a story that really needed to be told.”

This labour of love took four years to complete and the crew faced many challenges during the making of the film. In Neel’s words, “One of the hardest was stepping into a world where there was so little understanding of the story we were trying to tell. We had to move with great care — every step, every conversation was handled with deep sensitivity. That responsibility followed us into the edit room too. There were moments that, cinematically, might have made for a ‘better’ film but if I ever felt something could harm Babban in any way, it had to go. Another moment that changed everything was when Babban was suddenly diagnosed with HIV. It came three years into the process. Suddenly, filmmaking took a back seat. We had to navigate unfamiliar systems, find the right healthcare, and figure out how to support Babban. It raised another difficult question — whether to document this part of his life or not.”

And then, one day, Babban said something that stayed with Neel. “He told me: ‘I just want to be happy in the forest with my animals. It doesn’t matter how long I have.’ That moment was everything. It was quiet, but it carried so much weight. I chose to include that chapter in the film. Not to dwell on tragedy, but to honour the peace Babban had found, and the courage it takes to choose joy even when the world doesn’t make it easy.”

With climate change and environment consciousness being topics of global interest, Neel believes that storytelling is one of the most powerful tools to create awareness and urgency around environmental issues. “By actively choosing to engage with these themes in our work — and by ensuring these are represented with depth, accuracy, and empathy — we can move people emotionally and intellectually. We’re no longer talking about a distant future; we are witnessing the effects of climate change unfold in real time. That immediacy makes it even more crucial to create narratives that not only inform, but resonate,” says Neel.

He says whether it is documentaries, short films, or even fashion content (his father is fashion designer Ashish N Soni), he tries to weave in questions of sustainability, coexistence and responsibility towards the natural world. “We are at a tipping point, and the stories we tell now, how we tell them, and who we centre in them, can help shape public consciousness and inspire action. For me, being an active voice means not just documenting change, but participating in it.”

— The writer is a contributor based in New Delhi