Khullam Khulla - Environment Special

Hindi/24mins/2003
Producer: Mike H. Pandey, Riverbank Studios
Sponsored by: Confederation of Indian Industry

Subject Focus: To motivate and sensitize a child to the natural world.

Summary: Khullam Khulla is a fun-learning children’s series. The idea is to motivate and sensitise the child. Each episode is value based and revolves around a concept and a specific subject in Science and Nature. One of the most successful and enjoyable teaching aids is Puppet. Children identify with puppets easily and find it fun to learn from them. Capturing a child’s limitless imagination and attention span, the lessons they teach are more easily absorbed and leave a deeper impact on a child’s mind. A programme comprising of colourful puppet characters, live footage, animations, graphics and music, this special environmental episode of Khullam Khulla aims to enhance the child’s knowledge of the natural world and emphasises the need for conservation and protection of the environment.

Producer’s/Director’s Profile: Mike Pandey is an internationally renowned wildlife filmmaker and conservationist. Born in Kenya, Mike trained in UK and USA before returning to India to work in the country of his origin. Committed and dedicated to the protection of Indian wildlife and environment, Mike’s films have always reflected his passion. In 1994 became the first Asian ever to win the Wild Screen Panda Award also known as the ‘Green Oscar’ for his film The Last Migration – Wild Elephant Capture in Sarguja. Six years later his film Shores of Silence – Whale Sharks in India won him the Green Oscar for a second time. Shores of Silence was a moving documentation of the mindless killing of hundreds of whale sharks – the largest fish in the sea – on Indian shores. The film not only won numerous international awards but has also become a landmark in conservation. A few months after the film’s first screening, the Indian Government brought about legislation to ban the killing of whale sharks in India. Giving it full protection under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. the film was also instrumental in giving the Whale Shark International protection. In November 2002, a resolution was passed at the CITES convention in Santiago, Chile giving the Whale Shark global protection. Over the last 30 years, Mike Pandey has produced and directed a wide spectrum of natural history and environmental films and children’s educational series, which have won numerous national and international awards. His work has always been steered by a deep-rooted affinity to the natural order of the living world.