NEW DELHI: Award-winning filmmaker, producer, and corporate leader Manish Mundra unveiled his latest book, Wild Africa: Through My Lens, this evening at Kunzum Café, Delhi.
The book is a breathtaking compilation drawn from over 28,000 photographs Mundra captured across Africa, showcasing the continent’s wilderness in all its raw splendour while underlining the urgent call for conservation.
The event featured a conversation with photographer-filmmaker Parthiv Shah and storyteller & TEDx speaker Kena Shree, where Shah shared intriguing stories behind the images that span the length and breadth of Kenya and Africa.
The Guest of Honour, Ambassador Peter Munyiri, Kenya’s High Commissioner to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives, praised Mundra’s work, calling it “a leap in diplomacy.” With a lighthearted remark, he added that Mundra had “made his job easier” by deepening cultural and emotional ties between India and Africa through art.
Mundra spoke candidly about his childhood memories in Jharkhand, where he once sold cold drinks and sarees on the streets of Deoghar, before rising to become a successful CEO and an internationally acclaimed filmmaker.
Reflecting on his journey, he said the secret to being both a good businessman and artist is simple:
“Be a good storyteller. Tell stories with heart and keep them factual.”
Best known as the founder of Drishyam Films, Mundra has produced globally acclaimed films like Masaan (2015), Dhanak (2016), and Newton (2017), India’s official entry to the Academy Awards. In 2022, he made his directorial debut with Siya. He has also authored poetry collections, including Mosaic and Kuch Adhuri Baatein.
With Wild Africa, Mundra extends his storytelling beyond cinema, capturing the essence of Africa’s wildlife and landscapes as a call to preserve its fragile splendour. For him, Africa is not just a subject but a place of purpose and inspiration discovered over two decades of journeys across the Maasai Mara and Serengeti.
The launch evening, marked by storytelling, diplomacy, and reflections on sustainability, brought together diplomats, artists, and photography lovers. The book hopes to inspire readers to pick up a camera, step into the wild, and play a part in making the planet and its habitats more sustainable.
