HIMANSHU MALHOTRA'S PROFILE

Himanshu Malhotra, is a documentary filmmaker specializing in the area of environment and wildlife filmmaking. He was born in Delhi in 1960 and completed his masters in Mass Communication from the first batch of the York University- Mass Communication Research Centre,Jamia at Delhi. He worked under Mr and Mrs Beveridge of Canada during his masters, and specialized in Film and Video Media.

Over the years Himanshu has emerged as an expert director and cameraperson and is considered an authority in Conservation, Ecology and Health issues. He has recorded the first Bi Pass heart operation in India, made a large number of films on brain surgery and also produced a film for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. His film on Animal rights has been acclaimed around the world as it exposed the inhuman torture animals are subjected to in India. This film earned him the Rishab award. This film was the first of its kind and was taken as evidence in various court rulings for reforms in favour of animal rights in India. His footage on circus animals was used in the campaign to ban the use of animals in circuses in India and was part of a film done by the BBC. Himanshu was also asked by the High court to document the systems of waste management and the water treatment of affluences going into the Yamuna from the Delhi slaughter house. He has designed print and audio-visual campaigns on animal rights for the Animal Welfare Board of India. He produced and directed the first 15 episodes of the serial ‘Heads &Tails’ with Mrs Maneka Gandhi. He is also on the Advisory Board of the National Zoological Park, Delhi. In his advisory capacity he has contributed his time and energy to improve the conditions and facilities in the Zoo. Many of his suggestions have been incorporated in the Zoo. He has visited many Zoos in the country and abroad and has made many films on the zoo movement in the country. He has worked with the Central Zoo Authority on the visual documentation of various zoos for the Parliamentary Consultative Committee. He has done a report on the "Visitors Response to the National Zoo" for the Central Zoo Authority. He was an invitee at the Asia for Animal Conference in Singapore 2005. He has been a member of Kalpavrish and is on the executive of Friendicos-seca and a member of the governing body of the India chapter of the World Pheasant Association. He has also been a member of the National Environmental Awareness Committee of the Ministry of environment & Forests. He has been appointed as a Honorary Wildlife Warden for Delhi region by the Government. He is also a member of the expert group on Zoo designing of the Central Zoo Authority.

Himanshu has many films to his credit. He has received the UK Environment Fellowship on Wildlife Crime and has made a film on the Coral Reefs. The film deals with wildlife crime in marine species which is endangering our waters and destroying marine fauna. The film has recently been telecast on Discovery channel in July 2007 and National Geographic in 2008 and was screened at Vatavaran 2007. He has made a documentary on Community based tourism for an NGO Community Enterprise International Forum and a film on Water harvesting for CEE, Ahmedabad. Himanshu has also done a film on the Ganga action plan for the Ministry of Environment & Forests to be shown to the Parliamentary consultative Committee.

He has made a film “Seasons in the Sun”, a film on Keoladeo National Park for the World Wide Fund for Nature which was used for the inauguration of the Dr Salim Ali Interpretation Centre at Bharatpur in January 2006. The film has recently received the UGC-CEC educational video festival best programme of year award. The film was also screened in the Ornithological Festival in France in 2006. Himanshu has also made a short film “Return to the wild” which focuses on the rescue of a tigress at Bali Island in Sundarbans in West Bengal . This short film documents the capture and release of a young tigress, inspite of a hostile situation thus giving an incentive to the conservation programme in the Sundarbans area. The film is being used extensively by the World wide fund for nature, India and the Bali Nature and Conservation society to campaign for the safety of the tiger among the local people. Himanshu was felicitated by the Government of West Bengal for his contribution. Himanshu has done a series on Environment titled “Prakriti Ek Parichye” for Doordarshan. These films cover subjects like the Eco-development programme at Ranthambore, Illegal trade, Rhino Conservation and Waste management. In March 2006 he completed a series of 4 documentaries on the wildlife and environment of Assam for Doordarshan, Guwahati.

His documentary on Siberian Cranes has been shown at the Ramsar convention in Moscow (International Conference on saving the Siberian Crane)and is the only documentation of the Siberian Project in India. This film was also screened for IVFest 95 in Kerala and the Bombay Documentary Film Festival in 1996. He has also completed a sequel to this film titled “Saving the Siberian Crane” which was shown at the festival PRAKRITI 99. He has directed and filmed, documentaries on the JFM project at Jhabua for the Swedish SIDA. He has also done a film on Bird Sanctuaries of Uttar Pradesh for U.P.Tourism and a film on the Army project at Harike Lake. The Film "Flight to Discovery" on Bird Sanctuaries of Uttar Pradesh was screened at Vatavaran 2002, and the Tourism festival at Milan.

He has made a film on Tiger estimation techniques for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2005-2006. The film has been made with the support of Project Tiger Directorate and is being distributed throughout the country. The film received the UGC-CEC 18th Video educational Competition award for the best film in the Environment category. He has made a film on Partridges “The silent world of Partridge Keeping” for the Public Service Broadcasting Trust. The film depicts the crimes behind Partridge keeping such as partridge fights, etc. The film has been nominated for Vatavaran 2007.

Himanshu has also done work for many NGOs, like a promotional film for the World Wide Fund for Nature, India, a campaign film to protect the fragile ecosystem of Ladakh titled “Ladakh – A Fragile Heritage”. The Film "Ladakh -A Fragile Heritage" was screened at the Ramsar Convention 2002 and at Wetlands Day 2003. He has also done a film documenting the WWF, India’s Nature Education programme, titled, “Learning with Nature”. He has completed 3 short management films for the Wildlife Institute of India on Keoladeo National Park, Kaziranga National Park and Chitwan National Park in Nepal for the World Parks Conference held at Durban in 2003. Himanshu has also tried to highlight environmental issues by frequently supplying news capsules on environment to Doordarshan and other channels.

He is recently completed a film on the Terai Arc Landscape for WWF, India and a film on Sarus Cranes for the UP Forest Department. He is working on a film on the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust and a film on Zoos of India for Central Zoo Authority.

Himanshu has also worked considerably in the area of health issues, he has done a series on "Facilities for the Disabled" for the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. He is currently working on a film on the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and two training films for teachers in dealing with disabled children.

Himanshu has also emerged as an International Cinematographer and has shot for Micheal Tobias for his films entitled "Third World War" and "India 24 hours" and also for the Royal society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) England. He has also produced some spots for the World Wide Fund for Nature, India and has also been associated with International Productions like "Narmada-A Valley rises" (film by Ali Kazmi). He is the cameraperson for the film "Shadows of Freedom" made for the Public Service Broadcasting Trust.

Himanshu has also participated in many seminars and workshops on issues of environment and wildlife. He was a participant for the Vatavaran festival 2002/2003 on issues of environment and using films for conservation. He has coordinated with British Council to organize a series of lectures of British Wildlife filmmakers like Allan Doug, Nick Gordon and Richard Brock in Delhi in 2003. He was a coordinator and participant in two major workshops on wildlife filmmaking. The first was at Corbett National Park with Nick Gordon in 2003. The second was at Sundarbans, West Bengal with Richard Brock.

Himanshu has also been on the jury for the Centre for Education Consortium (UGC) students films festival and for Vatavaran. Recently in 2005 he was felicitated by Vatavaran for his contribution to environment & wildlife filmmaking. He has given lectures on environmental issues and has also been a judge for various environment related activities for children at various schools.

Himanshu is a founder trustee of an NGO called SKM Wildlife Conservation Foundation which is working towards providing medical facilities for birds. The NGO has done considerable work in the area of animal rights and in the zoo movement.

Himanshu Malhotra is the owner of Multi Media, a media organisation involved in making documentaries, educational and training films on a variety of subjects. It is an accredited news agency with the Indian National network (Doordarshan)- supplying news capsules for the National/International news bulletins. Multi Media has also supplied news capsules to International networks like BBC CNN and Asiavision. Multi Media is empanelled with Doordarshan and various other government agencies.

Multi Media, a media organisation involved in making documentaries, educational and training films on a variety of subjects. It is an accredited news agency with the Indian National network (Doordarshan)- supplying news capsules for the National/International news bulletins. Multi Media has also supplied news capsules to International networks like BBC CNN and Asiavision. Multi Media is empanelled with Doordarshan and various other government agencies. Multi Media has all the required equipment for Production and post production.

C- 50, Defence Colony,
New Delhi – 110024
INDIA
Contact No. - +91 9811184099, 9968070180,
Ph No. - + 011 24330000,
Fax + 01124330090
email: naturewatch@vsnl.com
         info@wildlifefilms.net