India set to make cine history with 1st carbon-neutral film

Film director Biswajeet Bora, from Assam, and producer Maya Kholie, from Arunachal Pradesh, are yet to make their mark in Bollywood. But they are set to create cinematic history — by making India’s first carbon-neutral film.

The film, Aisa Yeh Jahaan, is likely to be released in May.

Carbon neutrality means the action taken by individuals, businesses and organisations to achieve a zero carbon footprint. It entails removing as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they produce while going about their work.

A carbon-neutral film compensates for the carbon emitted during its making through eco-friendly activities such as planting trees. Among the few such films produced globally are George Clooney’s Syriana and the catastrophic Day the Earth Stood Still and The Day After Tomorrow.

“The making of a film impacts the environment through use of electricity, fuel for travel and generators, plastic and other inorganic substances. We engaged a Mumbai-based NGO to assess the emissions associated with our film and spend as much on plantation,” Bora told HT from Mumbai.

The film’s crew has already planted some 400 saplings in and around Mumbai, the northeast and elsewhere in the country.

“I wanted the green tag for our film, maybe because I come from a part of the country where nature is worshipped,” Kholie said.

Set in Mumbai, Aisa Yeh Jahaan stars Euphoria band helmsman Palash Sen, Ira Dubey, Yashpal Sharma and Tinu Anand. It tells the story of urban families, trapped in concrete jungles, drifting away from nature and gradually forgetting their roots.

“The film is in the final stages of production. We hope people relate to it,” Bora said.

Having assisted filmmaker Jahnu Barua, Bora has an Assamese film titled Ejak Jonakir Jhilmil to his credit. He had earlier teamed up with Kholie to make Angel of the Aboriginals: Dr Verrier Elwin, a documentary that made it to several international film festivals.