The conspiracy of silence has been broken: Vibha Bakshi

The documentary film Daughters of Mother India which is based on the events after the Delhi gang rape in 2012 has received accolades at home and a full house at the New York Film Festival Today filmmaker Vibha Bakshi will receive the 62nd Annual National Film Award in DelhiVibha Bakshi will receive the National Award for her film Daughters of Mother India today PicAtul KambleA former business reporter her earlier films include Terror At Home which was part of the United States governmentrsquos Emmy Awardwinning campaign to stop violence against women and Too Hot Not to Handle HBOrsquos film on global warmingBakshi talks about making the awardwinning filmQ Why did you decide to make a documentary on NirbhayaA A lot of people were thinking of making a documentary on Nirbhaya but it was a matter of who was able to gain access to authorities and case studies The question that is being asked in New York is how come no Indian made a film on Nirbhaya We all know what happened that night but Daughters of Mother India is about what happened after the incident mdash when the country raised its voice for justice and changeA still from the film shows the Delhi Police command and control roomQ How difficult was it to portray sexual violence on screenA Our team made a conscious decision that an issue like gender violence had to be dealt with in a very responsible manner The idea was not to sensationalise but to sensitise the audience on the subject I am so grateful for the National Award as it acknowledges the fact that we created a responsible film for IndiaQ How did you begin work on the documentaryA You need passion commitment and belief in the subject to make a documentary film I felt so proud as an Indian to watch activists and protesters come out on the streets to demand justice That is when I knew there was a story to be toldIt was important to document the movement while it was on The police who were at the frontline of the fire played a crucial role The challenge was to gain access to the police We spoke to the Police Commissioner of Delhi Neeraj Kumar For the first time cameras were allowed in the Delhi Police command and control room It took us approximately a year to make this filmQ What were the main challenges you faced during the filmingA Our toughest challenge was getting access to the authorities and talking to people One goes through an emotional turmoil while dealing with a rape survivor and her family For the film we had to interview a fiveyearold rape survivor The night we were to shoot I wasnrsquot sure I had the courage to fulfill the task I called up my husband Vishal and told him that as a mother of two young children I was too emotional to interview the survivor and her family He said lsquoYou cannot unsee sic what you have seen The only closure yoursquoll get is when the film is made and it changes someonersquos lifersquo That line made us go onQ What did you keep in mind to ensure you didnrsquot misuse the subject for commercial successA It is difficult to sell a story that has not been sensationalised Our biggest achievement was gaining the support of the government academia and the cops Today the film is being screened for the entire police force Our toughest critics have embraced itQ What are your views on the way the India media covered these recent casesA Media played a very important in giving momentum to the movement as it has been relentless in its reportage The documentary which has no star backing has got the media attention it deservesQ You have also worked on a documentary on the Shakti Mills gangrape case and the gangrape of a ragpicker in Mulund What is the common thread that emerges in these cases apart from the brutality and gender violenceA Gender bias is the common thread in all the cases Society reflects a certain mentality which needs to change My film does not have the answers but I hope it makes the viewer think about how India can be made a safer placeQ Leslee Udwin made a documentary on the same topic Where do you think lies the difference between your film and the BBC documentary Indiarsquos DaughterA Only the titles of the films sound similar Irsquom the other side of the coin Mine is Indiarsquos story about hopeQ What is the biggest change that has happened after the release of this filmA That we have initiated a dialogue and a movement has begun We are talking and must keep talking Change will not happen overnight but this is a step towards the change The conspiracy of silence has been broken There are far more cases being reported The shame has been shifted from the survivor to the culprit