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- Britta Slopianka, Axis of Logic
Correspondent in Germany
In a chilling commentary against what he calls the glorification of capital punishment by the media and the sudden ‘personal’ interest of the West Bengal Government in the execution of murder and rape convict Dhananjoy Chatterjee, a film maker here has put together a film that seeks to rekindle the big debate on the issue.
Titled One Day From a Hangman’s Life, the hour-long documentary film by four-time national award winning director Joshy Joseph captures hangman Nata Mallik in his many hues—as a needy man encashing his sound bytes, as a seasoned actor who knows what adds punch to a TV interview and as the head of a family worried about the future of his progeny.
But beneath its biographical veneer, the documentary tries to point a finger at the ‘media’s lopsided projection’ of an execution and iconisation of a hangman, who even shared a public forum with Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee’s wife suggesting, in Joseph’s words, the state’s personal involvement in the whole affair.
Shot on June 23, the eve of the first official date announced for Chatterjee’s hanging (later deferred when the President reconsidered his mercy plea), the action takes place mostly within a dingy 10X8 room in Mallik’s south Kolkata residence, the media’s most frequented destination for about two months preceding Chatterjee’s dramatic execution on August 14.
The film begins with a shot of Mallik at 9:30 am on June 23 lighting his favourite brand of cigarette and gearing up for a day that would have ended in an execution in its late hours.
It builds up the tension and ends in a typical anti-climax when Mallik is informed that the hanging is cancelled.
“Though he keeps repeating his rehearsed lines in front of umpteen cameras throughout the day saying it is a government job and he is simply carrying out their orders, you can actually see a crestfallen man at twilight when he hears that his services will not be required tomorrow,” Joseph says.
Indulging in a little sting operation, cameraman Razak Kottakkal switched off the lights midway and posed not to be shooting.
Mallik was then seen in his real colours. “Dekho koi khabarwallah bahar hai ki nahin? (Is there any mediaman outside?),” he is seen asking his son while gesticulating for money. “Police wallah ko phone karo jana hai ki nahin (Call the police and ask if we have to go).”
He follows it up with an utter sense of desparation.”Aaj raat ko thoda jyada peena padega. Nahin to neend nahin ayegi. (I will have to drink a little more tonight. Or else I’ll not get any sleep).”
The film begins with a shot of Mallik at 9:30 am on June 23 lighting his favourite brand of cigarette and gearing up for a day that would have ended in an execution in its late hours.
It builds up the tension and ends in a typical anti-climax when Mallik is informed that the hanging is cancelled.
“Though he keeps repeating his rehearsed lines in front of umpteen cameras throughout the day saying it is a government job and he is simply carrying out their orders, you can actually see a crestfallen man at twilight when he hears that his services will not be required tomorrow,” Joseph says.
Indulging in a little sting operation, cameraman Razak Kottakkal switched off the lights midway and posed not to be shooting.
Mallik was then seen in his real colours. “Dekho koi khabarwallah bahar hai ki nahin? (Is there any mediaman outside?),” he is seen asking his son while gesticulating for money. “Police wallah ko phone karo jana hai ki nahin (Call the police and ask if we have to go).”
He follows it up with an utter sense of desparation.”Aaj raat ko thoda jyada peena padega. Nahin to neend nahin ayegi. (I will have to drink a little more tonight. Or else I’ll not get any sleep).”
The film begins with a shot of Mallik at 9:30 am on June 23 lighting his favourite brand of cigarette and gearing up for a day that would have ended in an execution in its late hours.
It builds up the tension and ends in a typical anti-climax when Mallik is informed that the hanging is cancelled.
“Though he keeps repeating his rehearsed lines in front of umpteen cameras throughout the day saying it is a government job and he is simply carrying out their orders, you can actually see a crestfallen man at twilight when he hears that his services will not be required tomorrow,” Joseph says.
Indulging in a little sting operation, cameraman Razak Kottakkal switched off the lights midway and posed not to be shooting.
Mallik was then seen in his real colours. “Dekho koi khabarwallah bahar hai ki nahin? (Is there any mediaman outside?),” he is seen asking his son while gesticulating for money. “Police wallah ko phone karo jana hai ki nahin (Call the police and ask if we have to go).”
He follows it up with an utter sense of desparation.”Aaj raat ko thoda jyada peena padega. Nahin to neend nahin ayegi. (I will have to drink a little more tonight. Or else I’ll not get any sleep).”
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_963154,000900030001.htm
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