KOCHI: Portraying the travails of forgiveness, the Catholic diocese of Indore has made a movie on the life of Blessed Sr Rani Maria Vattalil who belonged to the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC). The story tells the tale of Sr Maria, depicting the physical and mental agony suffered by her. The movie, ‘Sr Rani Maria’, was premiered on May 27.
“Sr Maria struggled to organise poor tribals against the exploitation by money lenders. She was also one of the first persons in Madhya Pradesh who had successfully implemented the concept of self-help groups,” said Indore Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal. The film’s purpose was to depict the virtue of forgiveness, said Fr Anand, director of Indore-based Atmadarshan TV.
Rani Maria, born in 1954 in Ernakulam, Kerala, professed religion and was a social activist who worked among the poor in Indore diocese. She was murdered on February 25, 1994, in a moving bus on her way to Kerala.
“Her blood sister visited the murderer, Samandar Singh, in prison and tied Rakhi on his hand in an act of forgiveness on behalf of the family. Even today, the virtue of forgiveness is alive in us when we are called to do so despite the most unforgettable situations,” said Fr Anand.
The movie was directed by Fr Selvin Ignatius and story was written by Riju Chandrayan. The main cast includes actors Ami Neema, Keshav and Madhu. The background music was by Ebin Pallichan. The 42-minute film was telecast on Atmadarshan TV. It is also available on YouTube.
Sr Maria dedicated herself to catechetical education while serving in several places in the country.
She was vocal in matters of social justice and social activism which led to her death at the hands of those who were opposed to her efforts in aiding the poor and downtrodden. She was declared Blessed by the Vatican on November 4, 2017.