To Kill A Tiger
In a small town in the hinterlands of India, a horrific event takes place that throws the victim and her family into a very delicate and difficult situation.
How do they cope? What kind of fight do they have to fight? What odds do they face? Do they come out victorious out of this?
“To Kill a Tiger,” a brilliant and gripping documentary written and directed by Nisha Pahuja, tells this family’s story.
In a small town in Jharkhand, India, Ranjit, a poor rice farmer, has a problem on his hands. His 13-year-old daughter has been brutally raped by three men, and his attempts to seek justice are thwarted at every step, and help and support seem but a faint and distant possibility.
When he files the police complaint, Ranjit is dissuaded by villagers from going forward with his efforts to get justice. Instead, he is asked to marry his daughter off to one of the perpetrators to protect her honor, and to maintain the dignity of the village.
These suggestions and advice are so brazen, and Ranjit receives them from so many people and entities that he is simply appalled – and so is the viewer to find that instead of helping Ranjit in his just cause, the whole community is doggedly against him. And, what’s more, village elders and others do not see anything wrong with that.
Indeed, it is even suggested that Kiran, the victim, is at fault for having provoked the perpetrators to do their heinous crime.
Nisha Pahuja has detailed the long and arduous struggle of Kiran and her parents, lasting 14 months and trying the patience of all concerned. She lays bare all aspects of
this horrific occurrence, and patiently follows Ranjit’s unflinching attempts to get justice in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
By far the only support for Ranjit seems to come from the Srijan Foundation, a non-government advocacy group. But the villagers are unrelenting and brazen in their insistence about Ranjit withdrawing the case, and marrying Kiran off to one of the arrested rapists.
“To Kill a Tiger” is a praiseworthy documentary that brings to the fore the evil forces that become solid roadblocks in the path of those seeking justice for a severe wrong done to them.
“To kill a tiger” is the translation of an Indian expression signifying eventual victory in a difficult task. This incisive documentary by Nisha Pahuja does a remarkable job of delineating one family’s resilience and perseverance in the face of heavy odds.
It is only fitting that “To Kill a Tiger” was nominated in the category of best documentary feature in the 2024 Oscars.
A laudable feat.
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e.mail : surendrabhimani@gmail.com
