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Newdelhi:18/6/21:Filmmaker Nila Madhab Panda’s short film on environmental change, Megha’s Divorce, was screened at an event organized by the publication Geneva Observer. The film stars Divya Dutta, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Manjari Fadnis, and Chandan Anand.
The Geneva Concept by Adeline Von Furstenberg has picked the stories illustrated by eleven international filmmakers from 11 countries that reflect the intertwining relations between mankind and the environment and how they are worsened by climate change on several levels and dimensions. Nila Madhab Panda is the only Indian director who makes films on environmental changes, global warming, and its effect on human life.
The participation of 11 interdependence films from 11 countries includes Nila Madhab Panda/India, Faouzi Bensaidi/Morocco, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun/Tchad, Asa Hjorleifsdottir/Iceland, Salome Lamas/Portugal, Bettina Oberli/Switzerland, Shahrbanoo Sadat/Afganistan, Silvio Soldini/Italy, Daniela Thomas/Brazil, Leon Wang/China, and Karin Williams/New Zealand.
Sharing his reaction, Panda said, “Environmental change is a big issue and it’s high time we start paying attention to it. Geneva Observer’s initiative The G|O: Sustained — Fossil Fuel Investment Needs to End Now is a big step toward change. I am really honoured that Megha’s Divorce is going to be part of the change in society, and it will be an eye-opener for many when they will see how climate change is not only going to affect their health but also their personal life.”
About The Film: Megha’s Divorce(RUN TIME:11 min)
Synopsis
It is the worst of times for the tale of this city called Delhi. Akaash and his father are living in the poshest part of the city. His wife left them with their child and moved to the countryside in an attempt to protect him from extreme air pollution choking Delhi. We meet them again in the court, arguing for divorce. The terms “climate change” and “air pollution” used to be lingo of scientists, environmentalists, or policymakers. Now they have become part of every conversation among people. The degradation of air quality and other resources has and is affecting our daily life, economy, human emotions, and even relationships.
This new film anthology explores the concept of INTERDEPENDENCE and our urgent need to reduce environmental damage and to preserve our natural resources, in respect of the four fundamental elements essential for our life on this planet.
Biography
Nila Madhab Panda (born18 October 1973) is an Indian film producer and director. Panda has produced and directed over 70 films, documentaries, and shorts films based on social issues such as climate change, child labor, education, water issues, sanitation, and many other developmental issues in India. Most of his films draw inspiration from his own life, having won several awards and critical acclaim for his films which have been received as entertaining yet socially relevant.
Nila Madhab Panda is an Odia director and producer involved in making mainstream and parallel Hindi films, documentaries, Short films, and public service advertising campaigns Nila has served on the juries of national and international film festivals.
His first feature film “I Am Kalam” became an iconic film winning 34 international awards along with a national award. His second feature film “Jalpari” (desert mermaid) received the MIP Junior award at Cannes. He continued making path-breaking films like “Babloo Happy Hai (Babloo is happy), “Kaun Kitney Paani Mein (in troubled water).
His project “Kadvi Hawa (Dark wind)”, was highly rated and critically acclaimed globally and received a national award. This is one of the first films that brought climate change into Indian cinema. His feature-length documentary “God’s own people” narrated by Amitabh Bachhan connects people’s faith with tree and God
“Halkaa (relief) was his production – a musical film with children. The film narrates a story about the “Swachhata Abhiyaan” [Clean India Mission] and the importance of sanitation. This film has won Best Film at the Grand Prix in Poland In Feb 2021, His First Odia language film ‘Kalira Atita’ was inducted in IFFI, and awarded in 67th National Film Awards for the year 2019 in the ‘Best Odia Film’segment
