'Bollywood films should build environmental awareness'
To promote conservation of bio-diversity and build environmental
awareness, Bollywood films can play a big role, says UK-based
conservationist Richard Edwards.
"If there is little bit of an attempt from mainstream cinema like
Bollywood to present issues on environment and wildlife, then it will
help us reach more audiences," Edwards told PTI here.
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A still from the English movie, ‘The Day After Tomorrow’.
UK-based conservationist Richard Edwards suggested
that environmental issues must be raised through
popular Bollywood films. |
Citing the example of Hollywood films like The Day After Tomorrow and
James Cameron's 3D saga Avatar, Edwards said that when issues are raised
through popular films, the masses understand it better.
Based on the theory of an abrupt climate change, Roland Emmerich's
The Day After Tomorrow (2004) was a science-fiction disaster film which
depicted the catastrophic effects of global warming.
"It is a very good example as it was successful in helping understand
people what climate change can do to their lives," Edwards said. Besides
working with ARKive, an online visual encyclopedia on nature, he is the
chief of the 'Wildscreen Festival', the world's largest wildlife and
environmental film festival.
He was in the city to showcase eco-wildlife films for a 'desi' avatar
of the 'Wildscreen Festival', organized by the British Council. Visual
media is now recognized as one of the most powerful, engaging and
emotive ways to sensitise audiences towards the cause of environmental
conservationism.
Besides providing an important historical record of the planet's
endangered plants and animals, films illustrate the sheer beauty of the
natural world, inspiring an entire generation of conservationists across
the globe.
Edwards said that films made on nature have a wide spectrum and can
be made purely for the fun of it, if not to deliver any message.
"It is not necessary that all such films need to be hard-hitting and
serious. We can even make nature films for the masses with pure
entertainment value, sans any message.
"If more people are able to relate to nature and environment through
an entertaining film, even then the purpose is served," he said. The
Dawn |
