John will be the catalyst to save tigers, says Mike Pandey

Mike Pandey, who has joined hands with John Abraham for his film `The Return of the Tiger`, feels the star will act as a catalyst to save the species.

New Delhi: Wildlife filmmaker Mike Pandey, who has joined hands with actor John Abraham for his upcoming film `The Return of the Tiger` feels the Bollywood star will act as a catalyst to save the endangered species. Pandey, known for his conservation work with films like `Shores of Silence - Whale sharks in India` and `Vanishing Giants` on elephants is co-producing the 90-minute documentary with Abraham to carry the tiger conservation appeal to the people of India.

"The film asks one question, where are they disappearing. John, being a youth icon will be able to get 60 percent of the population through his appeal. I have chosen him after five years of working together for elephants in Maharashtra. He is a catalyst to ensure in saving the tiger," Pandey told reporters. But doesn`t star power often takes attention away from the entral issue? He will be in the film for brief moments, it`s not like selling cola. We are working for something really powerful and I am trying to create a new story telling format. I need to show how a tiger react to the presence of man, how it understands compassion and love. He will narrate it halfway and maybe I will narrate the rest of it," said Pandey. The downward spiralling number of tigers in the country came to the centrestage recently after cellphone service provider `Aircel` launched a campaign to save the big cat. From the blogging world to the world of cricket and fashion and even megastar Amitabh Bachchan joining the movement, now everybody is chanting the mantra to save our national animal. But does it really make a difference? "Aircel started the campaign and it woke up India. Enthusiasm is positive and everybody getting aware is good. The next step should be to translate it into ground action at grass root level. The government has been trying really hard for so long, so where have we gone wrong is the question? The hype is great but we have to get into a collaborative effort to make a difference," feels Pandey. `The Return of the Tiger` will be used as a tool to sensitise communities and citizens through road shows, TV shows and screenings in schools and colleges. "Animals are attached to our ethos and part of the food cycle. Nature is resilient, all it needs is a chance to bounce back. We are not just pleading for tiger survival, it is for our own survival and I will be successful when every single person will realise his stake in the tiger," he added. As part of the endeavour, Austrian jazz musician Harri Stojka and his band performed in the capital recently to raise awareness for the issue. "The band has come all the way from Austria to support the cause which is very good. England and Sweden have also approached us and the movement is getting global. One tiny volcano erupted in Iceland and half the world came to a standstill, nature can be tough so we should not nudge it much," Pandey said. PTI