Nirbhaya’s friend calls ’India’s Daughter’ a fake film

mangaloretoday.com/CNN

New Delhi, March 10: While the British filmmaker Leslee Udwin claims that her documentary on the horrific Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, ’India’s Daughter’, accurately depicts what happened on the night of December 16, 2012, the sole witness to the barbaric assault on the 23-year-old woman called the film "fake".

Backing the Central government’s decision to ban ’India’s Daughter’ featuring the interview of one of the convicts, Mukesh Singh who blames girls for rape and not men, Nirbhaya’s friend Avanindra Pandey accused Leslee Udwin of insensitively handling the issue.

"The documentary is unbalanced as the victim’s viewpoint is missing. The facts are hidden and the content is fake. Only Jyoti and I know what happened on that night and the documentary is far from truth," says Avanindra Pandey who fought with the rapists and murderers to save her friend but was overpowered and beaten up brutally.

 

Backing his claim, Pandey said he had never heard the name of tutor Satendra, who features in the documentary. "Moreover, how does he know which movie I wanted to watch on that night," asks Pandey.

The man who appears as the tutor of the victim in the documentary said, "Avanindra Pandey wanted to watch an action film while Jyoti wanted to watch ’Life Of Pi’."

The interview of the death row convict created a massive public uproar and controversy after it was made public in which he held girls more responsible than boys for rape. Pandey says, "A controversy was created unnecessarily and was sensationalised. The documentary made fun of emotions and questioned the law and order situation in our country."

Pandey adds that even though things slipped out of the government’s hand, it took timely action. "The documentary has dented country’s image and questioned law and order situation. The documentary showed that any individual can enter the Central Jail of our country and can interview a criminal," Pandey says.

When asked whether he was approached to be part of the documentary, he replied in positive. "I was approached by many people and it started one and a half years ago, in 2013. I did not want to be part of it as I was not convinced by its motive. Also, I was not mentally prepared and had health issues as well," Pandey says.

He also appeals that there should be a censor board for documentaries as well.

The film is about the 23-year-old physiotherapist who was brutally gangraped by six men in a moving bus on December 16, 2012 in the national capital. Brutally assaulted, the victim succumbed to her injuries on December 29, 2012.