Srinagar, Mar 28: Noted filmmaker and thrice Green Oscar winner, Mike Pandey visited Media Education Research Centre (MERC) and addressed a special session attended by students, research scholars and the faculty of the department.
 While discussing the nuances of the documentary filmmaking, Mike Pandey said: “To be a good filmmaker, you should be a good story-teller”.
 Sensitizing the students about the fragile ecology, he referred to the erratic climate, the recent freak storm in the valley and the stinking Dal Lake.
 He said: “The planet Earth has been too much plundered because people don’t know what they are doing to the environment. The pen and the camera are the powerful tools in your hands. Use them to enhance the awareness of the masses about the critical environmental issues of our times”.
 Earlier while welcoming the guest of honour, Prof S Mufeed Ahmad, Head MERC, described Mike as a “versatile genius”. He said, “MERC intends to provide more opportunities to the trainees to excel in the field and the session with the stalwart like Mike Pandey is the beginning of a new initiative and direction”.
 In his introductory remarks, senior faculty MERC Nasir Mirza recalled his quarter a century long association with Mike Pandey and thanked him for the help and guidance extended to MERC in the past. “Mike has the distinction of re-defining the genre of documentary film making and expanding its scope”, Mirza remarked.
 Prominent among those present on the occasion included noted cinematographer Inder Kathuria, Tariq A Bhat CEO, Associated Media, A Rafia Fazili, Director Operations Riverbank Studio, besides faculty members MERC Dr Sabeha Mufti, Dr Aaliya Ahmad, Syeda Afshana, Malik Zahra, Muslim Jan and Faheen.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 IST