In an initiative aimed at raising awareness about the rich biodiversity of India and the need for wild-life conservation, Discovery has pulled in celebrated actors to provide voice-overs for the premiere of documentary Wild Karnataka on June 5, World Environment Day.

Produced by filmmakers Amoghavarsha JS and Kalyan Varma in collaboration with Karnataka Forest Department, Wild Karnataka focuses on the biodiversity that flourishes in the wild, as Karnataka now has some of the best forests in the world.

The film shot using 4K Ultra HD technology, by a team of 20 camera persons using drones and 15 stationed cameras across Karnataka over a period of 4 years, is a visual spectacle which is to be enjoyed on the big screen.

Leading stars come forward to narrate it in different languages. Sir David Attenborough will take the lead in English while Indian actors such as Rajkumar Rao (in Hindi), Prakash Raj (in Telugu and Tamil), and Rishab Shetty (in Kannada) are also on board.

Rajkummar Rao, on his experience of working for the documentary, said, “As an actor, you’re always looking for interesting stories to tell. Discovery has always been my go-to channel whenever I’ve wanted to explore something new. Now to be a part of the channel through a film that so beautifully portrays the natural heritage of our country, it is definitely a proud moment for me.”

Noted actor Prakash Raj, has lent his voice for the Tamil and Telugu version of the film. He said, “I connect with the ethos of the show – celebrating the rich bio-diversity that is prevalent in India. The magnitude of this wild based magnum opus can be gauged from the fact that this hour-long documentary is sieved from four hundred hours of shot footage.”

“This film is close to my heart as I am from Karnataka; it is extremely important for us to save our wildlife and the government and Forest Department of Karnataka are taking great efforts, despite the pressures of development and vast human population,” said actor Rishab Shetty, who has dubbed for the film in Kannada.

Karnataka is the home to some of the richest wild places on the planet and boasts of a rich biodiversity. Interestingly, one quarter of India’s plant and animal species are found here, many of which are still unknown to the people of India.

The money raised by this launch is being donated to the Tiger Foundation of Karnataka forest Department.

Tune in to Wild Karnataka, which premieres in India on Friday, June 5 at 8:00 PM, only on Discovery, Discovery HD, Animal Planet, DTamil and Discovery Plus App