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Mike H. Pandey |
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Filmmaker and
Conservationist… |
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Born in
Kenya, the Nairobi National Park, which was at the back
of the Pandey household proved a rich source of
inspiration for both Mike and his brother Ishwar.
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Mike’s adventures with the camera started
when he was barely seven when an uncle presented him a
Kodak Browning Box camera on his birthday. He still owns
this heirloom.
Trained and educated in the UK and US the
brothers experiences have been wide and varied from
training in Hollywood, USA as interns, to Director of
special effects and war scenes in films like Razia
Sultan, Betaab, Gazab etc. in India. But the call of the
wild was strong and Mike’s passion and care for the
natural world pulled him back to Indian wildlife. |
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In 1994,
he became the first Asian producer / director to win the
Wildscreen Panda Award, also known as the
Green Oscar, for his film
The Last Migration - Wild Elephant Capture in Sarguja.
In 2000,
his film Shores of Silence - Whale Sharks in India,
won the Green Oscar for the second time. The film
also led to the ban on the killing of whale sharks on
Indian shores. This film has also won a National
Award for Best Film in the “Exploration & Adventure”
Category, 2005. |
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On October 2004, he did India proud once again
by winning the Green Oscar for the Third time
for his film Vanishing Giants – a
story of his passion and involvement with
elephants. This film also led to the ban of
cruel and outdated techniques of elephant
capture in India. |
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The CMS
– UNEP Award for Outstanding Achievement In Global
Conservation, the Prithvi Ratan
or was also awarded to Mike at the Vatavaran Film
Festival in November 2003, for his outstanding
contribution towards generating awareness, which led to
the conservation of a global heritage - the Whale Shark.
Mike was also presented with the Award for Cinematic
Excellence by Western India’s Cinematographers
Association in Mumbai, 2005. |
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Mike has also produced some of India’s most
popular television programmes like Earth
Matters – a series on the wildlife and
environment of India that has won four
international awards and Khullam Khulla –
a fun learning educational series for children.
With over three decades of filmmaking experience
mike has produced over 600 films and won scores
of awards both national and International.
His powerful films are living proof of the
difference a film can make in bringing about
changes locally, nationally and globally. |
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In Mike's Words |
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"education and awareness and information is the magical key
that can bring prosperity, harmony and progress to my
country.
The earth is our home and is in a crisis, our collective
actions alone can make a difference and give it a chance for
revival.
The future is in our hands and we have to leave the legacy of
the living world for our children”.
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On his film Shores of Silence |
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“Sometimes
it takes nations and decades to bring about change… and
sometimes as we have been shown, changes take place when
we touch the hearts and minds of people.
The Whale Shark film has
brought about legislation …and conservation…Protecting the
world’s largest fish, the Whale Shark, and giving this
global heritage a new lease of life...”
- Mike Pandey |
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Published articles by Mike
Pandey
1. Out of Africa
2. Lions of Ngorongoro
3. Land of Tigers, Madhya Pradesh |
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