BENGALURU: They say art is cathartic. This is true for those who gather strength and rise above their pain and anguish to tell the story of their loved ones, who stood up for rights of the underprivileged, and lost their lives to mindless acts of hate.
Noted Kannada film director Kavitha Lankesh, who has been seeking justice for her slain sister, the acclaimed activist and journalist Gauri Lankesh, is now making a documentary on Gauri, her activism and penchant for sticking her neck out for the rights of the downtrodden. The documentary is one of four entries worldwide on impunity for crimes against journalists, rewarded by the Free Press Unlimited, Amsterdam.
“Last year, they had called for proposals for documentaries on journalists who have lost their lives in war, or an act of violence in the line of duty. There were around 300 proposals out of which Free Press accepted four entries. One of them was mine,” Kavitha told TNIE. She said that before submitting the proposal to Free Press, she had asked herself whether she would be able to weather the trauma yet again -- of tracking and filming the life of her sister, whose journalistic career was dotted with her activism, till that fatal evening of September 5, 2017, when Gauri was assassinated just inside her house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) instituted by the then Congress-led Siddaramaiah government had arrested and charge-sheeted 18 accused, who reportedly claim allegiance to some fringe right-wing groups. “To do the film was a tough decision to take because Gauri was more than a sister to me. She was my friend, mentor and soul keeper. I have still to come to terms that she is not around. Making the film meant going back to those traumatic memories. But I felt that I must tell the story of this woman, who knew no fear when it came to fighting for justice and Constitutional rights of people,” said Kavitha.
The documentary is in its final stages of completion and should be done in early 2022, she added. “The film captures the life of Gauri soon after she took over our father’s publication, Lankesh Patrike, in 2000 and her activism. The documentary is likely to be premiered in a film festival in The Netherlands.