Water will soon be world’s most valuable commodity and many cities will feel the pinch most. In fact, 85 per cent of India’s population are already living in water-stressed conditions, said Shekhar Kapur, whose most-awaited film ‘Paani’ will go on the floors this October. Kapur said scarcity of water has seeped into urban life and in near future, war over water is inevitable.
The film-maker along with eminent film personality Kabir Bedi was here to attend a series of programmes organised on the occasion of World Water Day on the KIIT campus on Friday.
Kapur said, “Although privatisation of water is a topic that is being debated across many countries for efficient distribution, there has been no finding to support this plea till now.
Even if privatisation ensures efficient delivery, it will not ensure that water reaches people who need it the most,” he said.
The film-maker said ‘Paani’ will have both a message as well as an emotional connect with a global audience.
“The film is not so much about the scarcity of water...that is something we know about already...but about the fact that water is what will eventually distinguish between two classes: one which gets it freely and one which does not.” Kapur claimed that 65 per cent of the country’s agricultural land do not get irrigation water, but industries get water aplenty. Stating that eco-system is changing, the film-maker suggested that state governments need to adopt strategies like water harvesting, afforestation, water management to bring in a balance in the eco-system.
Kapur along with Bedi inaugurated the art gallery of the KIIT University and “BLUE: the Water Festival” which was being organised on the premises by a host of city-based social organisations including the Bakul Foundation.
They later interacted with the students of School of Film and Media Sciences of KIIT University in a session on “New Generation & Cinema of 21st Century”. The session was moderated by director Nila Madhab Panda.
Speaking on the occasion, Bedi said this is the most exciting time in the history of entertainment industry. “This period has democratised the way of film-making, distribution and promotion. These three stages were the most difficult ones for any film-maker 10 years back,” he said, adding that time for cinema has changed with social media. “There’s this whole new world out there...you have to go out and explore.”
Kapur, on his part, said adding, “Any aspiring artiste will grow if he or she gets over the fear of throwing oneself into a world of chaos.”