Dheeraj Aithal is a 2021 National Geographic Explorer and documentary filmmaker who is passionate about narrating inclusive stories and create content appealing to one and all. Dheeraj has worked on projects across India for production houses like Nat Geo Wild, Smithsonian Channel, Animal Planet, and the Discovery Channel. As an aerial cinematographer he has been involved with brands like Infosys, Toyota Kirloskar, Karnataka Tourism, One Plus India and has shot for Oscar nominated films like the Elephant Whisperer.

He co-directed the documentary ‘The Last Hop(e)’ which deals with frog conservation in the Western Ghats. A contracted filmmaker for the UNDP in India, he is keen on pushing the envelopes to achieve meaningful cinema in the fields of wildlife, social change and environmental preservation.