Mumbai − Daughters of Mother India wins the 62nd Annual National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues. The film is directed by Vibha Bakshi and produced by Vibha Bakshi and Vishal Bakshi. The documentary Daughters of Mother India is the reverberation of the brutal gang rape and murder of a 23 year old physiotherapy intern in Delhi on 16th December 2012 and the five year old rape survivor Gudiya. It features the mass protests followed by the galvanized movement to end the silence on violence against women and the extraordinary cohesion by the ordinary citizens that the country witnessed.
The documentary has highlighted the complexity of the Indian society, the government and has showcased the swift and radical changes being made in the police, the judiciary and community groups post the incident. At this point while the world views India as ‘a country of rapists’ the documentary is committed to advancing and developing the minds of the people and thus making the habitat a better place to live in. The documentary is made taking into account the role played by all the stakeholders including the police, the law makers, the activists and most importantly society. For the first time, in the history of the Police force, the Police Commissioner of Delhi granted permission for a camera to be allowed inside the Delhi Police Control and Command room.
The film is definitely a call to action which leaves the viewer thinking on how to make India a safer place for women, rather than just leaving them with a feeling of disgust and repulsion. Most importantly, the film persuades the viewer to believe that change will happen and inspire people to make it happen.