In this video, I travel through the rain-soaked forests of Amboli in Maharashtra — a place where the Western Ghats meet the monsoon at its strongest. I wanted to photograph one of the smallest and most fascinating amphibians of the region — Micrixalus uttaraghati, also known as the dancing frog. The male dancing frogs exhibit a behaviour known as foot-flagging — slowly lifting and waving a hind leg as a signal to other males and nearby females. This is what gives them the name - dancing frog. I was lucky enough, despite the rain, to capture this behaviour along with moments of interaction between individual frogs. The film also looks at how these frogs live close to fast-flowing streams and waterfalls, where the sound of the water often overpowers their soft calls. Their visual display — the flagging — helps them communicate even in such noisy surroundings. Later in the day, the rain made it impossible to continue filming, but as darkness set in, it opened up a chance to photograph nocturnal species that thrive in the rain. Apart from the frogs, I came across some amazing wildlife — Indian toads, pit vipers, and the remarkable waterfall crabs , a first for me. These crabs live along wet rock faces and stream edges, spending much of their time within the splash zone and feeding on algae and decaying organic matter. Across two days of near-constant rain, I worked with whatever light and time I could find, photographing these species while keeping my equipment safe from the water. The video closes with a walk into the Amboli Botanical Garden — a well-known site for macro photography — where I found more frogs and another pit viper before wrapping up the trip. A huge thanks to my guides - Yash and Manjit (who also lent his footage of the frogs) for this film.

In the monsoon forests of Goa, I set out in search of something that only reveals itself after dark — bioluminescent fungi and mushrooms. When we think of colour in nature, we usually think of the day: butterflies, flowers, grasses, and the shifting greens of the forest. Colour is light reflected back to our eyes. But some life forms create their own light. This natural phenomenon, known as bioluminescence, is faint, rare, and visible only in complete darkness. This film is about my search for that glow in the Western Ghats. On the edge of the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, I spent several days in heavy rain trying to photograph glowing fungi and mushrooms. Some nights were spent waiting by tree trunks that looked ordinary by day but came alive with glowing green light at night. Other times, I focused on smaller mushrooms from the Mycena group — delicate, fragile, and glowing faintly under the canopy. Photographing bioluminescence came with challenges. The light is too dim for standard video, so I used long exposures and time-lapse sequences to capture the transition from day to night. I tried wide perspectives to show the trees that hosted these fungi, and macro close-ups to reveal their detail. Rain was constant — damaging for cameras, yet essential for bringing the fungi out. At times, unexpected elements like stray torchlight or changes in weather added their own mark on the images. The mystery remains: why do mushrooms glow? We know the chemistry — molecules inside them react with oxygen, releasing light instead of heat. But the purpose is still not clear. Some scientists suggest the glow attracts insects that help spread spores. Others think it acts as a warning to protect them from being eaten. And some believe it may simply be a byproduct of their metabolism. That uncertainty is what makes ongoing research so important. My friend Omkar is studying these mushrooms in Goa, describing species that may even be new to science. I am deeply grateful to him for his guidance and support during this trip. The has shot the timelapses of the mushrooms too. I also want to thank Kuldip and Manjit from Mrugaya, whose expertise helped me find the glowing trees in these rainforests. This journey has been about more than photographs. It has been about chasing a rare light in the dark, and about the questions that still surround it. The Western Ghats are full of such stories — some familiar, some waiting to be told.

Discover the beauty of Goa’s lesser-known laterite plateaus on the outskirts of the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, where the Western Ghats’ southern and northern ecologies blend in spectacular fashion. Join me on a trail on this unique landscape - a plateau that transitions to a forest, home to exclusive species like the reddish burrowing frog, the elusive saw-scaled viper, and stunning bioluminescent mushrooms that light up the monsoon nights. I also chat with Parag Rangnekar, a veteran naturalist and conservationist from Goa, on how these misunderstood plateaus harbour rich biodiversity rivaling even rainforests at times, from rare herpetofauna to ground-nesting lapwings and nightjars. We speak of sustainable tourism, including a heartwarming story of a women-run homestay in the remote village of Tarde. You'll see what field herping for snakes and frogs under monsoon skies entails, some responsible wildlife photography tips, and a rare glimpse of glowing fungi under the rainforest canopy. Whether you’re a nature lover, adventure seeker, or curious about Western Ghats ecology, this video promises a unique Goan adventure away from the usual beaches.

Join me as I explore the hidden, lush rainforests of the Western Ghats, discovering a different side of Goa that comes alive during the monsoon. From Chorla Ghats in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, we dive into the world of herping, searching for amphibians, reptiles, and anything else I can capture with my macro lens. One memorable experience on this trip was witnessing the bioluminescent fungi of the Mycena genus. In complete darkness, the forest glowed in patches, with twigs and leaves emitting a soft, fluorescent light - an incredibly rare natural phenomenon. I also photographed the Malabar pit viper, a snake endemic to the Western Ghats. The highlight of the trip was capturing rare footage of Malabar gliding frogs during their mating ritual. I watched three males trying to mate with one female and the creation of a foam nest. This unique behaviour was fascinating to observe and document - a first for me.