PUNJAB : The environment documentary India: The Golden Sparrow–Disaster Risk Reduction has gained international recognition, being officially selected at multiple film festivals in Russia, Israel, London and India. The film also earned the Best Director award for actress and filmmaker Jonita Doda, who was later honoured with the 100 Most Influential Women Award by the Indian National Bar Association (INBA), marking a significant milestone in her public journey.
Jonita Doda first became known for her work on the silver screen, with performances across Punjabi, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi cinema, as well as a strong presence in the fashion industry. She is also the co-founder of Chandigarh Fashion Week. Her professional focus has now expanded into environmental advocacy, public awareness and policy engagement.
She has been involved in creating educational reels, delivering public talks, conducting training sessions for government officials, and hosting seminars on air, water, and soil pollution; floods; global warming; waste management; biodiversity laws; deforestation; native species regeneration; intergenerational equity; and disaster mitigation. Another documentary, on pollution, is in production.
The shift in direction began after the devastating 2018 floods in Kerala. Doda witnessed the disaster first-hand while travelling with her crew, an experience that left a lasting impact. “What I saw in those floods will stay with me for a long time, as families were displaced, livelihoods washed away, and a quiet but urgent question that refused to leave me: Why are we always reacting to disasters instead of preventing them?” she questions.
Following the floods, Doda pursued formal training in environmental science, including advanced academic exposure at IIT Kharagpur. Recalling the period, she says, “After the 2018 Kerala floods, I, along with my crew, was stuck for more than ten days and then got evacuated through Tamil Nadu. This changed my life. Then I started doing research and in 2022 started making my documentary ‘India: The Golden Sparrow-Disaster Risk Reduction’ which got released the next year.”
The documentary focuses on disaster preparedness, policy gaps and the importance of shifting from reactive relief to preventive planning. Its international screening opened new platforms for dialogue. “Then in 2024, I was invited to Russia by the Save and Preserve Festival and organization to speak on environmental issues, an event that was covered by Russia 1 as my documentary was officially selected at the film festival, Russia,” she adds.
She believes her environmental consciousness was shaped early in life. Doda credits her parents for instilling discipline, responsibility and a sense of service. “In particular, my father’s deep love for nature and the respect he practiced taught me about the natural world and left a lasting imprint on me.”
For Doda, environmentalism is not limited to awareness alone but extends to accountability and action. She views cinema as a powerful tool for social change. “I don’t see acting and environmentalism as separate. Cinema is one of the most powerful tools we have to shape consciousness,” she adds.
Beyond filmmaking, she has conducted capacity-building programmes and collaborated with policymakers and academic institutions.
She has been training government officials across the country on topics such as the role of officers in climate mitigation and adaptation, and the risks of global warming at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration (MGSIPA) in Chandigarh, the National Academy of Direct Taxes, Regional Campus, Mumbai, the Income Tax Department, and other places.
“Also gave talks at the Environmental Education Program of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, besides various universities and institutes like Panjab University, Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College and so forth,” said Jonita as she has been doing seminars.
Doda is also active on social media, with around 1.1 million followers on Facebook and Instagram. She also produces educational videos on YouTube. She has spoken publicly on the Aravalli mountain range, floods in Punjab and Uttarakhand, and landslides and cloudbursts in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal.
Doda is also focused on institution-building through the I J Doda Foundation, which works on environmental protection, women’s empowerment, etc. Looking ahead, she plans new socially driven films, a podcast titled The Voice with Jonita Doda, and expanded policy engagement.