The Brotherhood: Trailer of film based on Dadri lynching released on YouTube

The trailer of director Pankaj Parashar’s documentary based on the lynching of a Muslim man in Bisada village of western Uttar Pradesh has been released on YouTube.

The film chronicles the events that unfolded at Dadri’s Bisada village on September 28, 2015, after a mob beat up 55-year-old Mohammad Ikhlaq and injured his son Danish, 22, over allegations of slaughtering a cow and storing its meat for consumption. Ikhlaq succumbed to his injuries while Danish survived with critical injuries.

The incident triggered national outrage over religious intolerance and a chain of protests across the country, with prominent writers, filmmakers and scientists returning their awards.

The Brotherhood focuses on the relationship between two neighbouring villages, Til Begampur and Ghodi Bachera. While Muslim Thakurs are dominant in the first village, the second one is controlled by the Hindu Thakurs. Both the villages have common wedding traditions and rituals.

“The history must be revisited and roots must be respected so that the country forever keeps such kind of brotherhood paramount. We need to understand the real reasons behind such communal tension and how easily we can combat it,” Parashar said.

The 24-minute documentary will also showcase the history of the region which stretches from Dadri to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.

Hemant Rajora, the assistant director of the documentary, asserted The Brotherhood is about communal harmony.

“Til Begambur is like the elder brother of Ghodi Bachera. They have been sharing the same tradition since ages, and that makes them unique. Unfortunately, the situation is not the same anymore,” Rajora said.

The Brotherhood will be released on YouTube on May 30.

Parashar is a correspondent with Hindustan, the Hindi newspaper published by a subsidiary of HT Media Ltd.