Filmmaker Debalina Majumder’s Jilipibalar Bondhura was screened in the competition section of Indian Documentary Films and won a Special Jury Mention at KIFF 2025. The 30-minute call-to-action documentary, based on a historic tamarind tree in south Calcutta planted by revolutionary and freedom fighter Parul Mukherjee, highlights the crisis of nature’s destruction due to urban development. What makes the film stand out is its format of exploring the crisis through the gaze, feelings and emotions of a toddler, Jilipibala.

In the film, Majumder creates a compilation of the documentation of the tree for over 12 to 13 years and the way it sheltered countless non-human lives. “The tree has been there for over 80 years. For me, one tree is not one life, one tree is for many lives — humans, insects, animals. I kept documenting it every day for years. I had not thought of making a film then. But since I make documentaries, I kept a camera on my balcony, capturing nature and the birds. When her (Parul) house was given for re-construction, the first thing that the promoters wanted to do was to cut down all the trees. After they cut two trees, we tried to save this historic one, and that gave birth to The Tamarind Tree Project. I also started a YouTube channel and many well-known singers came to sing, and we hosted Tentultola singing festival. The documentary was made out of an urgency to save the tree. I stitched my interactions with Simran, who was my tenant and was named Jilipibala in the film, with my documentation of the tree and the countless lives that created a kingdom in it for years,” said Majumder.

Talking about the recognition the film received at KIFF, Majumder said: “More than the joy of winning the award, I regret the opportunity I missed to hand over our document on the tree to the chief minister as I reached a little late. But I am happy that a lot of people spoke about the film. Our primary aim was to stop the cutting of this tree. But we knew it would have a ripple effect. Many film societies and clubs are eager to show this film. Whatever little we could do with this film, we wanted to spread it among people. Our idea is not to take it to festivals but we wish to take it to many schools.”