India's Daughter (2015) Reviews

• One of the best documentaries ever made !!!

  jayjani2015-03-05

  Going by so much outrage against it in India and subsequent banning of this documentary by the Indian govt., I started watching this expecting to see something offensive about the brutal gang rape incident or something offensive against the country. But as it went on, I was fully mesmerized by complete portrayal of truth and reality encompassing most relevant and notable people. This is one of the most terrific and marvelous pieces of documentary ever created. It really amazes me how BBC comes out with such realistic works that even the local media houses fail to capture. The best part of the whole documentary is the true depiction of one of the victims and the way director captured him with zoomed visuals focusing on his body movements and portraying the true mindset of a criminal. I hope this documentary stays on the internet so that willing Indian adult citizens can watch it. Once again, there is nothing offensive in this documentary against the victim, her family or to the country. It is just a realistic piece of work that Indian govt. should support than to ban it. I can't understand that if parents of the victim supported this documentary to such an extent than why should the govt. be so worried about. Hats off and salute to Leslee Udwin and her team. Kudos to the BBC !

• India's Daughter has lot of moist eyes moments. Just an attempt to compile my thoughts after watching the documentary with a great lump in my throat.

  binducherungath2015-03-06

  India'a Daughter, a documentary by Leslee Udwin (it is part of BBC's ongoing Storyville series), is based on Delhi Gang Rape of 2012. This is not my effort to review this documentary. I am just putting across my thoughts. With great angst, helplessness, lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, I watched the whole documentary. The events were reconstructed to show the incident which occurred on 16th December, 2012. I have no clue, why Indian government tried to put a ban on its release in India (it was supposed to be broadcast on 8th March, 2015 on NDTV 24 X 7 and by BBC). BBC decided to do the broadcast on 5th March, 2015. The documentary has not projected India in bad light. It has not fabricated the truth. I went through loads of emotions while watching this documentary, felt the pain of Jyoti, pain of her parents, also loads of anger towards the attitude of the guilty, and defense lawyers. Why the hue and cry over the documentary and why the ban: The documentary states at the beginning that it has been made with the co-operation of Jyoti's parents (even reveals her name). It covers the interviews of Jyoti's parents, Mukesh (one of the guilty man), defense lawyers – ML Sharma and AP Singh, two surviving members of the JS Verma Committee set up to modify India's rape laws (after Jyoti's death), the person who first saw Jyoti and her friend lying naked and bleeding on the footpath (who got bed sheet and water from a hotel on the other side of the road), the police officers who investigated the case, the doctor who examined her, and also the families of the rapists, including the mother of the juvenile. The documentary also shows the interview of Kavita Krishnan who says, how the protests happened. It is shocking to see Mukesh narrating the incident without any sense of guilt. No sense of regret is felt in his voice. He says that it was girl's fault. According to him, she should have been silent and allowed them to rape her. Oh my God! What a sick mentality. He says, how they threw both of them before gleefully divvying up the belongings. One rapist got a pair of shoes, another scored a jacket. An item which was left behind was probably her intestines which they wrapped in a piece of cloth and pitched it through the window. Mukesh even argues that the death penalty for rape could only be bad news for victims: "Now when they rape, they won't leave the girl like we did. They will kill her. Especially the criminal types." He is sitting very coolly without any visible expressions, when he was read out the list of Jyoti's injuries – from bite marks to the removal of her intestines. Flicker of a smile playing on his lips actually irritated me. It is unnerving to see this unfazed Mukesh looking into the camera and narrating the happenings of that night as if he was narrating some film story. His manner of describing his fellow convicts and also about his dead brother and reiterating the thought that they needed to teach the girl and the boy a lesson is absolutely disgusting. This unapologetic misogyny is so disturbing. Another shocking thing was responses from the defense lawyers - ML Sharma and AP SIngh. Their biases and prejudices are disturbing. No identity for females of their own according to these lawyers. They describe women in terms as disparate as diamonds, food and flowers – objectifying the female fraternity. Look at ML Sharma's analogies and logics: "She should not be put out on the street just like food. The 'lady' in the other hand, we can say the 'girl' or the 'woman', are more precious than a gem, that a diamond. It is up to you how you want to keep the diamond in your hand. If you put the diamond on the street, certainly the dog will take it out. You can't stop it." AP Singh is shown saying: "If my daughter or sister engaged in pre- marital activities and disgraced herself and allowed herself to lose face and character by doing such things, I would most certainly take this sort of sister or daughter to my farmhouse, and in front of my entire family, I would put petrol on her and set her alight." Asked later if he stood by those comments, he insisted that he did. Do they even deserve to be lawyers? It is so painful to see Jyoti's parents Asha Singh and Badri Singh. Jyoti was the light of their lives, and now they don't have clue, how to move ahead and leave behind the tragic death of her daughter. They are simply inconsolable. Her father Badri Singh tells Udwin: "I wish that whatever darkness there is in the world should be dispelled by this light." In spite of the fact that Indian government has banned this documentary to be broadcast in India, Badri Singh tells NDTV that everyone must see 'India's Daughter'. A few thoughts: The tragedy is, no change has happened even after this Nirbhaya incident. Reports say that a girl / woman is raped every 20 minutes. Leslee Udwin has not shown that there is some easy answers or quick fix solutions to this. Justice Leila Seth puts it across so aptly that change is not impossible. Education is the answer, sure, and hope is something that we haven't completely done away with. For there's nothing that a person is not capable of – one just needs to strike the correct notes. India's Daughter has lot of moist eyes moments. Just an attempt to compile my thoughts after watching the documentary with a great lump in my throat.

• A step taken to end the misery of the women in India and all around

  aniketvyas1022015-03-06

  The documentary covers the unfortunate incident that occurred on Dec 16, 2012. A rarest of rare case that shook the whole nation. The documentary is short, simple and to the point. It gives to you straight, what's wrong with the society. The Gender Inequality that prevails in the society even today. How the mentality needs to be changed. If the government thinks it puts us in a bad light then they should think about delivering the verdict fast and giving justice to the deceased, because delaying that is a shame. The ban should be lifted, it should be up to us if we want to watch it or not. Hope there comes a day when we all can live peacefully without fear.

• Truth must be told

  ktthool2015-03-08

  I live in India and the point of view towards women in our society from Historical culture heritage till modern world is described at utmost accurately as Mirror shows our true face in reflection. Recent claims of Leaders about knowing truth will educate people about criminal mind thinking and people would act accordingly. Decision of ban was made and all copies of this videos were completely removed instantly. This turned out nothing but false statement, in video there is not a single thing about it. A tragic event took place and shook the world in December 2012. Everything and anything about a innocent girl, who was passionate about opening a hospital in her rural village to help locals in future is ruined as she was suffered a brutal death caused by four low mindset criminals in one unfortunate night. Impact before and after incident on lives of victim and criminals involved is recorded as it is, not a shingle shred of unwanted education is exhibited. The act of ban indicating rigid, inflexible mindset of Leaders towards change in Modern society taped in video clearly. This BBC documentary is banned by our current Indian Leaders, who are nothing but lamest person on earth. This curiosity to watch this banned Documentary in such a short notice is a remarkable step by government to stop the world from getting root of truth. Nothing but a purposely done to act to hide ugly mindset in our society that exists and faced daily in our life about child marriage, restriction on gender basis. Veracity of this BBC Documentary is crystal clear and everyone should watch this video. The Question raised in the end would obviously confronted by society. Showcase of what the tragic incident happened to common man, it was suppressed instantly by government. I believe there is no need to evaluate this documentary, because the Director has done a remarkable job in exposing the truth and immediate ban from Indian government internet is cogent evidence. Only one final question raised is that, when this creepy mindset will change about women otherwise consequences will be inevitability grave? That answer is only given by you, after all you are the judge.

• "A decent girl wouldn't roam around at 9pm...a girl is far more responsible for a rape than a boy"

  MartinHafer2015-10-30

  India's Daughter is a very difficult film to watch. And hearing quotes like the one listed above during the course of the film is definitely unsettling. Now I am not saying you shouldn't see India's Daughter, you really should, but the film is difficult because it's about a horrible case where a young woman was gang raped and very brutally murdered. The details are very unsettling and what's more unsettling are many of the interviews--interviews which reveal a sad rape culture in which the victims are traditionally blamed for these vicious crimes. But I am glad the interviews are in this documentary because instead of a narrator talking about the incidence of rape and violence against women in India, it's the people themselves who talk--and that makes for a stronger, more impactful film. The story begins back in 2012. A medical student, Jyoti Singh, took some time from her very difficult schedule to go out with a male friend and enjoy a movie. On the bus ride back home in the early evening, the friend was beaten and Singh was gang raped by five men while their friend, the driver, drove them about town during this long and horrible ordeal. When they were finished with her, the men literally tore her to pieces and threw her and her friend from the vehicle. Miraculously, she survived several painful days--long enough to give testimony which helped authorities find the men responsible. Fortunately, this case was not ignored or swept away. The Delhi police quickly began investigating and capturing suspects. At the same time, students from the nearby university took to the streets to protest this assault as well as to raise awareness of the prevalence of assaults in the country and the devalued role of women. In this country, the UN has estimated that there have been 50,000,000 cases of recent infanticide of females because folks often have so little regard for women. Likewise, violence against women of all types is largely condoned. As for the police, though they appropriately investigated the case, they also attempted to violently squash the protests. But, despite this, protests continued and occurred in other major cities in the country. The government was forced to do something. The story both outlines the series of events and allows many of the folks involved in the case to talk and give their side. Singh's parents, one of the perpetrators, several defense attorneys, government officials and rape activists all talked about the crime as well as the prevailing pro-rape culture...or, in some cases, made excuses to justify these rapes. In the case of Jyoti, she wasn't able to speak because of her death. One of the convicted men, however, blamed her as she was out late at night and said he and his friends were 'teaching her a lesson'! This is sick, but the lawyers were often even worse in the film, as one defense attorneys stated on two occasions that had Jyoti been a member of his family, he would have poured petrol on her and set her ablaze for being out at night...even if she was with a male escort! It's hard to watch and hear this sort of stuff and you'll likely be filled with anger as well as tears. However this is what makes this a great film--as exceptional documentaries are often great because they cause such a strong affective reaction within the viewer. You are angry and should be angry...and with anger, change is more likely to occur. A truly remarkable and important film, very well made and with an incredibly strong impact. Leslee Udwin has written and directed one of the strongest films of its type I have ever seen and even more remarkable is that this is the first time she ever directed a project!