Award-winning documentary highlights elderly right to die debate in India

Sumira Roy's documentary film Bhangaar won the National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film last month. The unreleased Marathi project explores the lives of Narayan and Iravati Lavate, an elderly childless couple who petitioned for active euthanasia in 2018.

The Lavates' Story

Iravati passed away from cancer in 2023, while Narayan now resides in an old-age home with failing eyesight and memory. Director Sumira Roy spent four years filming the couple in their Mumbai chawl room using a minimal crew and no artificial lighting. The Central Board of Film Certification initially objected to the film's title, considering the Marathi word for obsolete to be insulting, but ultimately cleared it with a mandatory disclaimer.

Context

India's elderly population is growing rapidly as birth rates decline, raising urgent questions about geriatric care, loneliness, and personal autonomy among senior citizens. Active euthanasia remains a complex legal and ethical debate in the country, with courts occasionally receiving petitions from individuals seeking the right to end their lives with dignity.