New Delhi: To Kill a Tiger, set in a village in Jharkhand, lost to 20 Days in Mariupol in the best documentary feature category at the 96th edition of the Academy Awards. Directed by Ukrainian filmmaker and war correspondent Mstyslav Chernov, 20 Days in Mariupol is a troubling first-person account of the initial days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. On the other hand, To Kill a Tiger is based out of India and directed by Indian origin filmmaker Nisha Pahuja.
The film follows Ranjit's uphill battle to find justice for his 13-year-old daughter who was abducted and later sexually assaulted by three men. "Ranjit goes to the police, and the men are arrested. But Ranjit's relief is short-lived, as the villagers and their leaders launch a sustained campaign to force the family to drop the charges.
A cinematic documentary, To Kill a Tiger follows Ranjit's uphill battle to find justice for his child," according to the official website of To Kill a Tiger. The film is a production of Notice Pictures Inc, in co-production with the National Film Board (NFB) of Canada. The film was produced by Cornelia Principe, Pahuja under Notice Pictures Inc, and the NFB's David Oppenheim.
Though the Nisha Pahuja directorial missed out on oscars, it has garnered two dozen awards throughout the world, including Best Documentary at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Amplify Voices Award at TIFF, and Best Feature Documentary at the Canadian Screen Awards. The Directors Guild of Canada awarded Pahuja the 2023 Excellence in Documentary Award.
To Kill A Tiger is executive produced by actors Dev Patel, Mindy Kaling, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Canadian poet Rupi Kaur, and surgeon-bestselling author Atul Gawande. In the latest development, fellow Indian and global icon Priyanka Chopra will serve as an executive producer on the award-winning feature documentary. The announcement comes as Netflix signs a contract to release the picture globally on its platform soon.
Other Oscar nominees in the best documentary feature category were Bobi Wine: The People's President, The Eternal Memory, and Four Daughters. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the 2024 Oscars are being held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles. (With agency inputs)
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