Jadav Payeng during the shooting of Forest Man. Telegraph picture

Jorhat, Nov. 12: The lone conservation efforts of Jadav Payeng, in planting trees and protecting what has become a small forest area filled with birds and animals in a remote sandbar near Majuli here, has drawn global attention.

A film made last year by Canadian William Douglas McMaster, entitled Forest Man, on Jadav Payeng better known as Molai Kathoni, has received the International Film Festival of Cinematic Arts short film documentary award for 2013.

Another locally made documentary, Jitu Kalita’s Forest Man of India, was screened at the Jawaharlal Nehru University today.

It was JNU, which had initially bestowed the Forest Man of India title on Payeng.

On November 15, Payeng will be conferred with the Royal Bank of Scotland Earth Heroes Award at a ceremony near Shastri Park metro station in New Delhi.

Payeng has been invited by the Centre for Social Responsibility and Leadership, New Delhi on November 18 and 19 to share his innovative thoughts and experiences before a large audience from companies like IOCL, GAIL (India) Ltd, NTPC, PGCIL, SAIL, ONGC, RCF, NFL, BPCL, Oil India Ltd, REC Ltd, IGL, MECON, NHPC and others at the 6th Donors and Doers programme at the India International Centre in New Delhi.

Payeng was handed a certificate of recognition by Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki at the North East Festival in New Delhi last Sunday.

Speaking to The Telegraph over phone from Delhi, Payeng said he was thrilled that his conservation work was reaching a larger audience through filmmakers like McMaster and others.

“I chatted with McMaster through email two days ago around 2am after the announcement of the award. He said he would like to make a bigger film on me and some other places here,” Payeng said. McMaster, accompanied by a friend, had made a small budget, 30- minute documentary.

Bijit Dutta of Kenduguri, who was instrumental in bringing McMaster to Jorhat through his travel blog last October, said the Canadian from Ontario had stayed for about a month at the sapori and filmed every aspect of Payeng’s life methodically, including his everyday activities to make Molai Kathoni on Kartik sapori, Payeng’s forested area, bigger and better.

The IFFCA website states that the organisation inspires filmmakers by premiering examples of micro-budget films and that the festival has a goal of fostering meaningful global conversation between cultures and countries through cinema.

Jitu Kalita, who lives near Payeng’s house, has also been feted and given recognition for good reporting by projecting the life of Payeng through his documentary.