The Transformative Power of a Movie
An account of how watching a movie ended up being a journey towards environmental advocacy
Aditya Pundir
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Nearly 20 years ago, I had an experience that profoundly changed my perspective and to this day continues to stay vivid in my mind. It demonstrated how something as simple as watching a movie can ignite a mental transformation.
In the late 1990s, Delhi was undergoing rapid changes. The economic liberalisation post-1991 had spurred development, but it did not come without challenges. The city was plagued by relentless construction of flyovers, burgeoning traffic, and air pollution. Travelling on Delhi roads often felt like a nightmare. The diesel buses of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) could turn a white shirt gray within seconds!
Thankfully, environmentalists and determined lawyers took the matter to the Supreme Court, culminating in a hard-fought victory in 1998 when buses were mandated to switch to CNG. I believed this would improve the air quality, but I was gravely mistaken. Dust and the growing number of private vehicles continued to push Delhi’s pollution levels higher. Simultaneously, the city’s green cover was shrinking, and water tables were depleting.
Turning point
Having grown up in the lush, green city of Dehradun, the deteriorating environmental conditions in Delhi were a shock. This period marked a turning point for me – I decided to contribute actively to environmental conservation alongside managing my full time job. However, the early 2000s were not conducive to such efforts. Reliable information was scarce on the nascent internet, and networking with like-minded individuals or organisations was difficult. Social media platforms like Facebook had only just launched and weren’t accessible in India.
Undeterred, I began working on small projects like ‘Gardening for Homes’ and ‘How to Keep Pets’. These initiatives aimed to help people understand the vital connection between human behaviour and the environment. Encouragingly, schools in Delhi started using my CDs to teach children about gardening and pet care. This coincided with the Supreme Court’s 2005 mandate for environmental education in schools, fueling growing public and media interest in issues like water scarcity, rising temperatures, and biodiversity loss.
Around this time, my two young children often requested movie outings, their primary source of entertainment during the week. One day, my wife suggested we watch An Inconvenient Truth, an environmental documentary by Al Gore, at PVR Priya in Vasant Vihar. The theatre was nearly empty, with just a dozen viewers, including us four – a testament to the limited interest in such films then. While the children mostly enjoyed the ice cream melting faster animations, my wife and I were deeply moved. The film stirred intense discussions about how we could contribute to tackling the climate crisis.
Lack of awareness
Conversations with friends and colleagues revealed a widespread lack of awareness about climate change. This realisation led us to create an educational website tailored for school children. With limited resources, we developed multimedia content and animations to simplify complex topics like the greenhouse effect and climate solutions. The website gained popularity among schools, providing an accessible introduction to climate change.
In 2009, I had the privilege of being trained by Al Gore as a Climate Reality Leader. Travelling to Australia for this training was a dream come true meeting the individual who had inspired my journey through his documentary. This training further equipped me to raise awareness within communities.
Today, the Climate Reality Project runs a Green Campus Program, training over 17,000 teachers across India. This initiative empowers students in schools and universities to understand climate change and take actionable steps. Watching An Inconvenient Truth continues to be an impactful experience for both teachers and students till today.
Powerful sources of inspiration
Movies, articles, and personal stories often serve as powerful sources of inspiration. They can help us address inner challenges and bring meaning to our lives. In today’s world, where hyperconnectivity, social media pressure, and the relentless pace of metro living take a toll on mental health, it’s more important than ever to channel our energy into meaningful pursuits. Reflecting on what inspires us and taking actionable steps can lead to both personal fulfillment and societal impact.