To Kill a Tiger is a 2022 Hindi-language Canadian documentary film, directed by Nisha Pahuja.[1] The film centres on a family in Jharkhand, India, who are campaigning for justice after their teenage daughter was brutally raped.[2]
To Kill a Tiger was originally released in select theaters in the United States without a distributor on October 20, 2023, followed by a re-release on February 9, 2024. In August 2023, Creators Faire reported that Dev Patel and Mindy Kaling signed on as executive producers; other executive producers also include Deepa Mehta, Rupi Kaur and Atul Gawande.[6] In February 2024, Netflix acquired worldwide distribution rights to the documentary, planning to release the documentary on their platform as soon as possible, with Priyanka Chopra Jonas joining the film as an executive producer.[7] On March 8, 2024, Pahuja announced that the film would be made available globally on Netflix two days later, coinciding with the 96th Academy Awards.[8]
Critical response
The film was named to TIFF's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list for 2022.[9]
Janet Smith of Stir praised the film, writing that Pahuja "offers the viewer remarkable access to village life, not just in the modest home where Ranjit’s family make roti on an open fire, but in the fields where they herd goats and collect water from a pump. The camera finds quiet details, like Ranjit’s daughter carefully weaving ribbons into her hair. Women and men insist that the community, not the criminal court, should solve the issue with a forced marriage—to remove the “stain on her”. The men become increasingly hostile—to the family, and eventually to the film crew itself."[10]
Andrew Parker of TheGATE.ca wrote that "as a highly detailed and personal work that can point people in a direction where they could learn more about the subject and make a larger impact, To Kill a Tiger has an undeniable and unshakable power. It is one of those documentaries where anyone who watches it won’t be the same person by the end as they were when it started."[11]
James Mackin of CityNews rated the film four stars, writing that "To Kill A Tiger is about accomplishing an insurmountable problem. The odds are stacked against them, the nation’s culture opposes their desire for justice. But Ranjit and his family persevere, and are able to remain in the village. This documentary is an incredibly emotional showcase that is absolutely worth a watch."[12]
Thom Ernst of Northern Stars wrote that "told with immense compassion and bravery, To Kill a Tiger is Pahuja’s best film and one of the best documentaries at this year’s festival."[13] The film has also garnered the attention of comedian and producer Mindy Kaling, who called the film a "triumph" and that "everyone should see it!" [14]
^This documentary was originally given a limited theatrical release in the United States on October 20, 2023 without a distributor, followed by a re-release on February 9, 2023 following its nomination for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film. After Netflix's acquisition of distribution rights to the documentary, it was released on the platform as a Netflix Original.
