It was recently reported that filmmaker Zunaid Memon is working on three feature films of the supernatural genre. While these projects are keeping him busy, the veteran has ensured that his work as an environmental activist isn’t compromised. Zunaid has come up with an interesting initiative to ensure that the environment is protected.

“Our environment has suffered hugely over the last few decades. The resources have been used up mercilessly and pollutants have been released faster than they can be absorbed. The Coronavirus pandemic is a red light to stop exploiting the planet and take significant action to make a change and ensure sustainability,” says Zunaid, who is the founder of the ARDEA Foundation (Agriculture Rural Development & Environmental Awareness Foundation).

The filmmaker-activist has urged governments across the world to work in this direction and call for a 11-day lockdown of sorts. “We’ve called it 11 Days of Earth’s Healing, a movement that can be undertaken by India and their global alliance to reorient our relationship with the environment and to transform how we live,” says Zunaid.

He adds, “I urge that every year, beginning May 1, 2021, we refine and re-adjust lifestyle choices to preserve mother nature by voluntarily ceasing all air, road and sea traffic, halting all commercial fishing activities, factories and production units, stopping all construction work and putting a pause on any undertaking that creates a negative impact on our environment, for 11 days. In a pre-Covid-19 scenario, this would have seemed impossible. But the lockdown last year has proven that this is doable. So why not do it for the betterment of our environment.”

After a sabbatical of a few years from the movie industry, Zunaid Memon is back in action. The veteran filmmaker, who has produced more than 400 TV commercials and about 11 feature films under his Nomad Films Ltd. banner, is excited about producing three feature films this year.

*A source says, “Zunaid Memon has always been someone who does things unconventionally and stands by what he believes in. Be it his fight against terming the Hindi film industry as Bollywood or starting the Green TV, India’s first agriculture TV channel for farmers – he has always made a difference. Now, after a break of about seven years, he is returning to film production. He has three films lined up for this year*

While he plans to delve into a variety of genres, the films lined up for this year are in the supernatural space. “With these films, I’m trying something that hasn’t been tried before in Hindi cinema. I want to be synonymous to this supernatural genre that I’m trying and own it in a way, like how the Ramsay Brothers specialise in the horror space. Apart from these three films, there are a few more that will go on floors next year. I’ll make an announcement about them by mid 2021,” says Zunaid.