Planet India premiered in New Delhi on Tuesday bringing stars of entertainment, senior government figures, environmental and business leaders together for a gala screening in celebration of this climate positive campaign inspired by India’s presidency of the G20. The event featured Planet India Advisory Council member and leading actress and UN ambassador Dia Mirza, along with a special surprise appearance from international superstar, actor and environmentalist Jackie Shroff, face of ‘This is Planet India’.
Speaking at the event, Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Youth Affairs and Sports, India, said, “I’m glad that PlucTV and Studio Silverback have decided to make Planet India, which is a statement to the world of the unity, passion, and dedication among the people of this country — particularly showcasing how the young minds of India are at the forefront of the battle against climate change, and the protection of precious natural resources.”
Planet India is a first-of-its-kind powerful visual storytelling campaign celebrating India’s solutions to the climate and nature crisis. In partnership with multi-award-winning filmmakers Studio Silverback, the team behind Sir David Attenborough’s A Life on Our Planet, and India’s leading creator economy platform Pluc.TV, Planet India celebrates and shares stories of how people and communities across India are driving climate and nature innovation. Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator for India lauded Planet India for putting the spotlight on India’s biodiversity, and wealth in youth. “These attributes set India apart, and we must celebrate them,” he said.
From protecting snow leopards in Himachal Pradesh, to restoring city lakes in Bangladesh, to planting forests in Assam, to bringing clean energy to rural India, these incredible films will tell never before seen stories of India’s response to climate and nature change, and inspire the world. Dia Mirza, Actress, UN Ambassador and Member of Planet India Advisory Board, added, “I am so inspired and so excited, and this has just been such an honour and privilege to be associated with such an important campaign. Congratulations Planet India — thank you for existing and I’m very sure that many people from all over the world are going to be inspired by your work.”
At the launch event, Jackie Shroff, Actor and Face of This is Planet India film said, “There are incredible stories of Indians leading the fight against climate change from the forefront and the world needs to hear about them. Planet India is a way for us to get inspired by these amazing innovators.” Guests were given an exclusive preview of the Planet India film series which will launch on JioCinema and across social media on September 8 and introduced to some of the climate heroes whose stories have inspired the campaign.
Talking about the initiative, Tamseel Hussein, Founder and CEO, Pluc TV, said, “For the past year, the Planet India team has been going to every corner in the country and collecting some of the most amazing visuals of mangroves, lakes, and snow-capped mountains. And tonight, we will open source that footage for everyone in the world to be able to download and tell their own Planet India story.” Reiterating how Planet India will change the world’s outlook towards India’s climate solutions, Jason Knauf, Executive Producer, Planet India, said,“The world needs to see these inspiring stories of Indian solutions to global challenges.”
And in a world-first, Planet India will make this world-class footage available to others for free on Open Planet, a brand new international open-source platform, creating an unprecedented visual storytelling toolkit which empowers everyone to share their Planet India stories. Colin Butfield, Executive Director of Studio Silverback, said, “If we want to change how the world views nature, how the world tackles climate change, how we look after people, we have to change the story, and we also have to change the way we tell the story. Planet India is our attempt to do that.”
Open Planet will instantly create the largest, most powerful open library of Indian climate and nature footage in history. Leading content creators from across India have used this content to create their own unique Planet India stories and call to their followers to join the conversation online at #PlanetIndia.
