Hollywood heavyweights Dev Patel and Mindy Kaling are among the executive producers to board the Canadian documentary To Kill a Tiger, as reported by Deadline. Directed by Nisha Pahuja, To Kill a Tiger observes a family’s fight for justice in a small Indian village after their daughter survives a brutal gang rape. The doc uses the story of father Ranjit and his family’s strength to question the status quo that perpetuates cycles of violence against women. The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival where it won the Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Feature. POV called it the best Canadian film of 2022.
Kaling is best known for her performances in the TV series The Mindy Project (2012-2017) and The Office (2005-2013) In film, she appeared alongside Emma Thompson in the network satire Late Night (2019) and in Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time (2018). The six-time Emmy nominee is also the showrunner and executive producers for the series The Sex Lives of College Girls (2021-2022) and Never Have I Ever (2020-2023).
“To Kill a Tiger is a story of how one family’s strength can overcome even the most heinous injustices. Nisha is an incredibly powerful storyteller and her film is a triumph,” Kaling said in a statement. “Everyone should see it.”
Meanwhile, Patel shot to fame in 2008 with his breakout performance in the Best Picture Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire, which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the Ensemble. He received an Oscar nomination and won a BAFTA for his turn in 2016’s Lion. He also starred in the 2019’s The Personal History of David Copperfield, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination, and the drama Hotel Mumbai, which he executive produced. The latter is a gripping tale of the 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai’s Taj Hotel.
“A David and Goliath story to the highest extent, To Kill a Tiger is not only a rallying cry to dismantle the patriarchal system, but also an inspiring anthem about the unwavering courage, resilience and undeniable power of women,” Patel told Deadline. “In my opinion, this film is one of the most important in modern Indian history.”
Also boarding To Kill a Tiger as executive producer are Shivani Rawat and Samarth Sahni. Rawat is the founder and CEO of ShivHans Pictures. Her credits as producer include the dramas Trumbo (2015) and Captain Fantastic (2016). As executive producer, her credits include The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), which earned six Oscar nominations including Best Picture. Sahni is the executive vice president of production at Patel’s Minor Realm, which will executive produce To Kill a Tiger. Other executive producers for the film include Anita Lee and acclaimed filmmaker Deepa Mehta.
To Kill a Tiger earned several accolades during its festival run. In addition to its win at TIFF, the film scored Best Documentary at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival, and New York Indian Film Festival with additional wins from festivals such as Doc Aviv and Cinéfest Sudbury. It made TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten list for 2022 and won three Canadian Screen Awards including the Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary Award.
To Kill a Tiger begins its US theatrical rollout at the Film Forum on October 20th before expanding to additional cities. The film is produced by Cornelia Principe and David Oppenheim of Notice Pictures and the National Film Board of Canada, respectively.
