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To Kill A Tiger, set in a village in India’s Jharkhand, lost to 20 Days in Mariupol in the best documentary feature category at the 96th edition of the Academy Awards last Sunday.
But the 127-minute Nisha Pahuja film, which chronicles a father’s unwavering pursuit of justice for his daughter, made a mark: It drew broader attention to sexual assaults and the rampant epidemic of misogynistic violence in India.
Tending to the rice fields, Ranjit – the doting father to his daughter, the victim of a sexual assault in 2017 – shares a poignant revelation towards the end of the film: “I was once told, ‘You can’t kill a tiger by yourself’. But I replied, ‘I’ll show you how’. And so, I did.”
That sets up the narrative arc of the tale.
Forged over the course of eight years, the documentary, winner of over 20 awards at festivals around the world, highlights the pervasive nature of male violence against females ingrained in the fabric of Indian society.
Most girls in India hide in shame after being victims of heinous crimes. But Kiran, a rape victim from Jharkhand, decided to unlearn the teachings of centuries of patriarchy and reveal her face in this documentary about the atrocious crime that was committed against her.
Of course, Kiran is a pseudonym used in the film, and To Kill A Tiger is a documentary about the heroism of Kiran and her father. But the film is so much more than just that. It is a documentary about predators.
In a small village in Jharkhand, resides 13-year-old Kiran. On one fateful night, she attends the wedding of her father’s nephew. While the rest of the party returns home, Kiran is delayed.
She arrives home at 1.30am, stumbling and barely able to stand. She tells her father that she was dragged away by three men and mercilessly raped, one of them being the nephew himself.
In a close-knit community like a village, news spreads like wildfire. When the rest of the village finds out about the alleged incident, they come up with a “foolproof solution” – marry Kiran off to one of the rapists and let the others go free. Because this is the only way to maintain harmony in the village.
Kiran’s family, however, especially her father, vow to seek justice for his daughter.
To Kill A Tiger documentary focuses on the works of the Srijan Foundation, an organisation that works in the area, which helped Kiran’s father Ranjit fight for his daughter.
Writer and director Pahuja, an Indian-born Canadian, told Boston-based publication WBUR: “I’ve been interested in exploring the issue of gender justice and violence against women in India for a number of years. It felt like this particular story could illuminate the why behind the headlines that continually come out of India.”
Initially, Pahuja had planned to hide Kiran’s face in the movie, to protect her identity. But the now 18-year-old Kiran insisted otherwise. She refused to be shamed and stay hidden for something that was no fault of hers.
The documentary has bagged several awards, including the Best Documentary 2023 award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Best Film 2022 at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Bollywood and Hollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, who joined American actress, screenwriter and producer Mindy Kaling and British actor and director Dev Patel as an executive producer ahead of To Kill A Tiger’s Netflix debut on March 10, said: “The film speaks not just to survivors, but their allies as well, men supporting women. It’s interesting to have a window into that and see how a father fights his entire community, the justice system, against what he’s told is the norm for his daughter’s rights.”
Priyanka was born in Jharkhand – the same state where To Kill A Tiger was filmed. “That’s what a village in India looks like,” she said. “It’s very authentically shot.”
The actress saw the movie soon after its TIFF premiere, and remembers how Ranjit’s struggle moved her to tears for personal reasons.
“I lost my father in 2013 and he was my biggest champion,” she said. “Ranjit and his quiet resolution – my dad was that kind of champion for me. There is something about having a dad that’s your champion. It’s a universal feeling.”
Indo-Asian News Service
“I lost my father in 2013 and he was my biggest champion. Ranjit and his quiet resolution – my dad was that kind of champion for me. There is something about having a dad that’s your champion. It’s a universal feeling.”
