No Filter: Actress Sakshi's calendar highlights need for pachyderm protection

Sakshi felt the need to use her visibility to highlight the need to protect the tuskers and their habitats through a calendar with striking visual imagery, combining her love for fashion, beauty and activism.

Living in times when people are quick to criticise, I’d suggest you take a deep breath and appreciate Sakshi for overcoming her fears and shooting with an elephant. You must also know that she is now so fond of Raja, the elephant, that she has taken over the cost of his upkeep along with city designer Faiza Khan, who created the costumes for the shoot.

The calendar was conceptualised along with photographer Alex Judson, a patient man who brought out the model in Raja, and captured the strength in Sakshi. They shot in wilderness, with no access to trailers, caravans or hotels, like most actresses are used to. The whole crew had to work really hard to accommodate Raja’s needs — they would take breaks when he needed to be fed or rested. Raja, for his part, proved to be quite naughty and had fun showering Sakshi with water unexpectedly, much to the crew’s amusement! Viji and Sharath — the makeup artist and hairstylist couple — would rush in to fix his handiwork. In some cases, Sakshi was perched precariously on a wooden stump next to Raja, who his flap his ears to swat mosquitoes and flies, resulting in her losing her footing. Elephants are highly intelligent, emotional and empathetic creatures. From everyone’s stories onset, it seems like Raja has made quite the impression.

What the entire team behind this calendar is hoping, is that people support organisations that protect and care for the welfare of these majestic creatures. When you head out to elephant safaris for holidays, please do your research on how they treat their elephants first. Pachyderms are capable of complex thoughts and deep feelings, so remember to treat them with love and respect they deserve. Kudos to Sakshi for using this platform to highlight the importance of protecting elephants.

If you are one of the lucky ones to get your hands on the calendar, let me know who posed better in the pictures. It almost seems like the bond between Sakshi and Raja is reflected in their poses!