India-set 'To Kill a Tiger' loses to '20 Days in Mariupol' in documentary feature Oscar category

New Delhi: To Kill a Tiger, set in a village in Jharkhand, lost to 20 Days in Mariupol in the best documentary feature category at the 96th edition of the Academy Awards.

Directed by Ukrainian filmmaker and war correspondent Mstyslav Chernov, 20 Days in Mariupol follows the story of Ukrainian journalists trapped in Mariupol after Russia's invasion.

Other Oscar nominees in the best documentary feature category were Bobi Wine: The People's President, The Eternal Memory, and Four Daughters.

A Canadian production, To Kill a Tiger is directed by Delhi-born Nisha Pahuja, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker based in Toronto. It had its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival 2022 where it won the Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Feature Film.

The film follows Ranjit's uphill battle to find justice for his 13-year-old daughter who was abducted and later sexually assaulted by three men.

"Ranjit goes to the police, and the men are arrested. But Ranjit's relief is short-lived, as the villagers and their leaders launch a sustained campaign to force the family to drop the charges. A cinematic documentary, To Kill a Tiger follows Ranjit's uphill battle to find justice for his child," according to the official website of To Kill a Tiger.

The film is a production of Notice Pictures Inc, in co-production with the National Film Board (NFB) of Canada. The film was produced by Cornelia Principe, Pahuja under Notice Pictures Inc, and the NFB's David Oppenheim.

To Kill A Tiger is executive produced by actors Dev Patel, Mindy Kaling, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Canadian poet Rupi Kaur, and surgeon-bestselling author Atul Gawande.

It premiered on Netflix hours before Oscars day.

Last year, India struck gold at the Academy Awards with Naatu Naatu, the foot-tapping number from the film RRR, winning best original song Oscar and The Elephant Whisperers earned the Oscar in the documentary short category. It was the first time two India-made productions bagged the cinema world's biggest prize.

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the 2024 Oscars are being held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles.