Jackie Shroff to venture into documentary filmmaking

Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff says he is keen to make a documentary film in future as they have the power to show reality.
Shroff said he was currently toying with a few ideas that include one on the extinction of some species of bees and butterflies in India, to make a film.
"Documentary is reality. It shows the truth. We used to watch a lot of documentaries, something we used to look forward to...I want to make a documentary too. I'll make it 100 per cent. Currently, I have a few subjects in my head," the actor told reporters.
He was speaking at the press conference of upcoming the 14th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) for Documentary, Short and Animation Films.

When asked about various themes on his mind, Shroff, the brand ambassador of the festival this year, said, "Cross pollination, bees, butterflies... They are diminishing. I have heard, 50-70 per cent of our original indigenous species have been extinct. I am thinking to make (documentary) on how to conserve that," he said.
The seven-day festival will take off from January 28. While Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be the chief guest at the opening ceremony, Governor Vidyasagar Rao will be the chief guest at the closing function.

The event is being organised by the Films Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in collaboration with the state government.

Mukesh Sharma, director of MIFF and Director General, Films Division, said the festival will honour a veteran personality from the Indian documentary fraternity with the esteemed V Shanataram Lifetime Achievement Award that carries a cash component of Rs 5 lakh, a trophy and a citation.
The total cash prize is Rs 60 lakh, out of which Rs 55 lakh is for winners of competition categories.
Out of 825 entries, the jury has selected 110 for competition in four sections, namely international, national, new media and animation.
Shroff said he wanted stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar to come forward and be the face of the festival next year onwards.

While national jury has members like Mike Pandey, who specialises in movies about wildlife, Biju Dhanapalan, and Jane Yu from Taiwan, the international jury comprises filmmakers Don Askarian (Germany), Siddharth Kak and Jesper Anderson, (Denmark).