The city with its many multiplexes and malls can keep even the most easily bored among us occupied, but come July and true-blue Mumbaikars will flock to the verdant hills and gushing waterfalls of Lonavla on the first rain-soaked weekend. For, to paraphrase the prescient words of WH Davies, in a life that's full of care, we all need to stand and stare.

But over the decades, our connect with nature has become so ephemeral that we are reminded of it through the mumbo jumbo of rejuvenating getaways, ayurvedic and naturopathy packages, or when the fury of nature becomes too immediate to ignore.
As an army child who has grown up across diverse geographies of India, Nitin Das is no stranger to the power of nature. But it was when he read about the healing forests of China and Japan, created as a retreat for their citizens to ease stress levels, that the Pune-based filmmaker began his research in the area. It culminated in the short film, How Forests Heal People (2016), which speaks of the results of numerous scientific studies that have shown how the brain behaves differently when in nature, sending calming signals to the body, which in turn help improve our immunity. Set against picturesque landscapes and a soothing narration, the film garnered over 10 million views.