Poonam Toppo. Picture by Manik Bose

Ranchi, Jan. 23: Poonam Toppo, a social worker once branded a witch, will soon feature in an untitled documentary film based on female foeticide.

A resident of HEC, Toppo (30) would be spreading awareness through this film among the villagers who are being misguided by quacks to abort the female foetus.

The film would be made in two regional languages — Santhali and Nagpuri with Poonam in the lead role.

The total budget of the film would be Rs 30 lakh and would be shot in Chaibasa, Ranchi, Seraikela, Lohardaga, East and West Singhbhum.

The film will be made by a local NGO, Asha, which has been working on domestic violence, witchcraft, women trafficking and female foeticide for the past two years.

Asha had contacted Calcutta-based documentary filmmaker Praveen Guha who is known to have made films with stalwarts like Naseeruddin Shah.

Toppo told The Telegraph: “Through this documentary film, I want to say that parents are greatly responsible for the discrimination between a girl and boy child. It’s a well-known fact that parents still prefer boys over girls as they feel that in their old age, boys will support them both morally and financially.”

“Through this film I want to convey that even a girl can take the responsibility of looking after the parents and can be financially independent,” Toppo said.

Ajay Kumar, the secretary of Asha, said: “We submitted the proposal to make a documentary film to the state health department last week.”

He added that as soon as the money is sanctioned, they would complete the film within three months and it would be of 45 minutes duration.

Kumar said they are carrying out a survey in different districts of the state where female foeticide is prevalent.

Poonam, who is looking after her two younger brothers after the death of her parents, is also doing an administrative job in Asha.

She had bagged the best youth award for working on witchcraft in 2004.