Filmmaker Kavitha Lankesh has been working on a project close to her heart — Gauri, a documentary on the late journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, her sister. The film is now on its official festival tour and was awarded the Best Human Rights Film at the Toronto Women’s Film Festival 2022. "This is the most special project that I have worked on yet. It is about Gauri, what went on, and the state of affairs," Kavitha says. She tells us more...

Gauri, the documentary, was commissioned by Free Press Unlimited, Amsterdam. They had asked candidates to submit project proposals. I was initially hesitant, as I knew how traumatic it would be. I kept contemplating, but eventually applied. Four projects were selected globally, and I was happy mine was one of them. It was a show of solidarity with Gauri's beliefs and what she stood for.

When we began shooting, we got to listen to people talk about her, and it was quite emotional. We went to Diddalli forest, where the tribal people told us how she helped them. Instead of just writing about their cause, she made interventions at the governing level. That was her thing - she never stopped with just writing about problems; she would actively ask for help, regardless of who is in power. Her selflessness set her apart.

I understood a lot more about Gauri and her battles. Earlier, I would argue with her over how she was never there for the family. Now I know she was giving her attention to bigger, more important causes. Working on this project helped me empathize with her journey and walk in her shoes. We shed many tears during filming. I was also particular about humanizing Gauri. Some people felt that, while her ideas were correct, she could have expressed them more effectively. We have showcased such flaws as well, since no one is perfect. The initial plan was to screen this film in Bengaluru on September 5, her death anniversary, but that did not work out. We will conduct a screening shortly.