‘To Kill a Tiger’, a documentary feature shot in the Bero Block of Ranchi district in Jharkhand, has been nominated for the prestigious Academy Awards in the Best Documentary Feature category for 2024.
The documentary made by Toronto-based Nisha Pahuja, is the lone entry from India in the Oscars this year and has become the latest buzz in national and international circles with more than 30 international awards in its kitty.
The documentary revolves around a 13-year-old tribal girl and her father’s fight for justice. The girl was sexually assaulted by three people after attending a wedding near her village. It depicts how her father Ranjit fights social stigma and pressure from local leaders in his battle for justice for his daughter.
The incident depicted in the documentary is of 9 April 2017 when the 13-year-old girl was abducted near a marriage ceremony in Kadojora village of Ita Panchayat in Bero Block of Ranchi district in Jharkhand. She was abducted to the Belpatri jungle where Kapil Munda, Langru Munda alias Manoj Munda and Ishwar gang-raped her.
After facing several months of struggle and many pressuring him to take the case back and get his daughter married to one of the rapists, Ranjit finally got justice as the accused were awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment by a Ranchi court.
The documentary focuses not only on Ranjit's fight as a father in the judicial system but also on his struggles against the social mindset.
Society’s focus on keeping such occurrences under wraps and protecting their family honour, instead of fighting for justice is also highlighted in the documentary.
The documentary was first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022 and has won over 30 international awards to date.
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