The Reel Green Story

We are selfish and don’t care about our children,” says writer-director Nila Madhab Panda. He minces no words as he talks about his country “failing to invest in its future generation”. Director of the critically-acclaimed film I am Kalam,Panda is back from the Cannes Film Festival 2012,where he presented Jalpari — The Desert Mermaid,a children’s film that saw an overwhelming response. The film will release in India on July 20. “It’s a story that brings families together and revolves around the journey of 10-year-old Shreya and how she discovers a deep dark secret of a village,” says the director,who rues the fact that for a nation that counts over 35 per cent of its 1.2 billion population as under-15,there is “hardly any homegrown quality cinema” for children in India. “Indian children are growing up watching Japanese and American films and animation movies and television shows which reflect little of their own lives,experience or culture,” says Panda.

Concerned about the scenario,Panda has been consciously working towards cinema that talks about children,the environment and “impending dooms” like water wars and food scarcity. He has now come up with Green Screen Lab — a new movement in children’s films in India. “These films will make way for the world’s first Indian Green Cinema movement,” says Panda,whose Delhi-based company Eleeanora Images has joined hands with Performing Arts Labs (PAL),London,to take the idea forward. After the success of Screenwriters’ Lab in 2009,they’ve come up with Green Screen Lab 2012 to develop high quality children’s films. Indian writers will be invited to come up with ideas and scripts for films focusing on issues and experiences of children in India. Eighteen shortlisted writers will then work on lab screenplay and develop it with a team of award-winning Indian and international screenwriters,producers,directors and actors. Once the writers’ lab is over,each writer/team will be provided with creative support for another six months to develop their projects for pre-production. “The idea is to enable mentored screenplays to be seen on cinema screens across India,to develop new young writing and directorial talent,and produce films that are steeped in regional roots while being commercially attractive,” says Panda.

Not only this,when Panda says “green”,he also refers to reducing the carbon footprint. “The film industry is one of the most energy-consuming industries. The lab will help produce cinema that decentralises organic waste for energy application,focusing on reliability,hygiene and aesthetic values,” he explains. His next film will also highlight the eco-system and issues of food scarcity. “I want to tell stories about subjects that are not talked about,make cinema that has an impact and makes money too,” sums up Panda.