About

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Sher J.S. Punchhe

Producer – Director

National Film Award winning film-maker, Sher was born in the warm heart of Africa, on the banks of the Lilongwe River in Malawi. Raised on the family farm deep in the country, he grew up surrounded by wilderness. A lifetime of 'hanging out' in the bush close to the wild animals has provided Sher with a truly gifted insight into how to capture on film the magnificence of Africa's untamed wilderness… how to find the animals – and just as importantly, how to approach them. “In my early years, I would hang out deep in the Bush and mingle with animals. It was only long afterwards that I realized the danger. I love nature and respect every living thing”, says Sher. It is this love and respect of nature that motivates Sher to create movies that glorify the splendour of the natural environment. It is a theme to which he intends to remain true.

Sher is a life member of the Indian Motion Pictures Association. He has produced many Indian films, including the multi-star Satyakam, with top-rated actors of the time, winner of 26 best Awards including National Award for Best Hindi Film in 1969. This film was produced to highlight the evil of corruption as early as in 1969 which today has become a full blown disease of the society. Sher worked on subject of corruption at that time when no other producer or director even dared to think about such subject.

He directed the Bollywood mega-hit Galiyon Kaa Badshah, starring the biggest star cast of the era namely, Raj Kumar, Hema Malini, Mithun Chakraborty, Samita Patil, Poonam Dhillon, Danny Denzongpa and other poular names of the screen.

His wildlife films set in Africa include The Last Garden of Eden, a spectacular full length feature film to highlight the burning problem of poaching and to protect wild life and flora and fauna. The visual splendour that embodies “The Last Garden of Eden” is the perfect example of a unique film-making talent of producer/ director Sher J. S. Punchhe. To capture the grandeur of the wilderness Sher travelled to the deepest of the African Savanna with full filming equipments including 35 mm cameras, cranes and full filming unit. Three to four camera were always used simultaneously to shoot from different angles may be either on the ground or in air. The shooting under a blazing sun in the African bush is fought with potential disasters unlike any in movie-making.

Habari is a wildlife film, dedicated to the Year of the child, was a runaway success. The Green Giraffe, an environmental documentary film to inspire children to take simple steps to help and halt global warming and conserve wildlife.

Sher is one of the few film-makers in Bollywood who takes pride in introducing new talent to the screen, some of whom rose to stardom before and behind the camera. He is a Life Member of the Indian Film Director's Association and the Film Writers Association of India.

Sher lives in beautiful Botswana, always on the move in the wilderness. He has dedicated his life to the cause of wildlife. Simply to preserve the beauties of nature, he kept shuttling between countries like Africa, Canada, U.S.A., U.K. and India.