The sorrow of glassy eyed Asmeena as she says, ‘his love for cows got him murdered’ to the unnerving confidence with which the Gau Rakshaks talk about beating up other human beings, the latest documentary from Filmmakers Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya (of Cinema Travellers fame) called ‘The Hour Of Lynching’ captures the truly human aspects of the deeply political and relevant theme of cow vigilantism.
Through the 19 minute documentary on the single incident of Rakbar Khan’s mob lynching and subsequent death, the directors show the effect of the incident on his family and community and contrast it with the Hindu Nationalists who are scrambling to justify and legitimise the killing and their cause. But through their exploration of this incident, the film makers are looking at the global issue of how different communities turn on each other, because of varying beliefs. Capturing both sides of a complex scenario, the directors attempt to show the reality of India’s state of flux. With deep research and directorial prowess, the documentary manages to convey the true gravity of the situation through their work.
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