Curiosity as a Superpower: A Wild Life of Storytelling | Munmun Dhalaria | TEDxJSSMC

In this TEDx talk, Munmun Dhalaria shares her journey from a childhood in a military zone in northeast India to becoming a National Geographic Explorer and documentary filmmaker. She emphasizes how curiosity led her to unexpected opportunities, starting with an exchange program in Massachusetts where she worked with Dr. Jonathan Way on coyote tracking. This experience sparked her passion for wildlife storytelling. After returning to India, she studied media and eventually became one of the first filmmakers in India to receive a National Geographic Explorer grant, which enabled her to film the endangered Western Tragopan. She later worked on the series ‘On the Brink,’ documenting ten endangered species, including bats and gharials. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she shifted focus to human stories, highlighting frontline workers and the opioid crisis in Himachal Pradesh. She also explored the water crisis in the Trans-Himalaya, observing glacier retreat with Dr. Farooq Azam. Throughout, she underscores the power of curiosity and storytelling to inspire change and urges the audience to follow their own curiosities and give back.