Mindy Kaling and Dev Patel have signed on to executive produce the documentary “To Kill a Tiger,” a gripping story about a father’s pursuit of justice in rural India.
Directed and written by Nisha Pahuja (“The World Before Her”), the film charts the emotional journey of Ranjit, a farmer in Jharkhand, who forces a social reckoning after his 13-year-old daughter is the victim of a gang rape.
“Gender equity and justice within India have been central to my work over the past decade,” said Pahuja. “With ‘To Kill a Tiger,’ I encountered a story that simply had to be told because of the bravery, honesty, and resilience of the family at the heart of it. I’m grateful for Mindy and Dev’s belief in this film and its capacity to empower and serve as a catalyst for change, while building on the work of many activists and organizations. Our mission is to ensure this family and these issues are given the platform they deserve.”
“To Kill a Tiger” was awarded best documentary at the 2023 Palm Springs International Film Festival. It will be released theatrically on Oct. 20 at New York’s Film Forum before continuing to expand to major cities.
“I feel so lucky to be part of this remarkable film by the gifted filmmaker, Nisha Pahuja. The story is heart-wrenching but triumphant, and stays with you long after you’ve seen it,” Kaling said in a statement. “‘To Kill a Tiger’ shows you not only the power of a father’s love but the strength of a young woman who faced the unimaginable, and chose to fight.”
Patel called “To Kill a Tiger” a “David and Goliath story to the highest extent,” as well as “one of the most important in modern Indian history.”
“I had a visceral reaction whilst watching Nisha Pahuja’s tender and powerful story of a father’s love, and his determination to support his teenage daughter’s quest for justice,” he said. “In a culture where submission is commonplace, to challenge a centuries old system that has silenced the voices of victims is revolutionary. Despite threats against the family and being ostracized in their community, they remained unflinching in their resolve.”
“To Kill a Tiger” was co-produced by Notice Pictures and the National Film Board of Canada. Along with Patel and Kaling, the documentary’s executive producers were AC Films Inc’s Andy Cohen, NFB’s Anita Lee, Atul Gawande, Andrew Dragoumis, Minor Realm’s Samarth Sahni, Deepa Mehta, and ShivHans Pictures’ Shivani Rawat.
Patel’s company Minor Realm was founded in 2021 with a mission to “nurture and develop voices and talent that too often are unrecognized in the creative landscape of commercial storytelling.”
Kaling International, the backer of “Never Have I Ever,” “The Mindy Project” and “Sex Lives of College Girls,” was founded in 2012 with the goal of “telling stories about the inner lives of women of color that have long been missing from television.”
Patel is repped by CAA, Sol22, Curtis Brown, Shelter PR and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler, Feldman & Clark. Kaling is repped by CAA, 3Arts, Lede and JSSK.
