Balangir: Dana Majhi, the tribal man from Kalahandi district whose ordeal in 2016 drew international attention, has lodged an FIR against the makers of the short film Laash, alleging that it portrays his life story without his knowledge or consent.
According to the complaint, Majhi has accused the film’s producer and director, Manoj Bagh, of using his real-life experience as the basis for the film without approaching him or obtaining his permission. The FIR has been registered at Patnagarh police station in Balangir district.
Majhi contended that the film closely resembles the events surrounding the death of his wife and the incident that brought him into the national and international spotlight nearly a decade ago. He has sought legal action against the filmmaker over the alleged unauthorised depiction of his personal story.
Laash, produced and directed by Manoj Bagh, has reportedly been screened at the Indo Singapore International Film Festival (ISIFF).
Dana Majhi became a symbol of the shortcomings in public healthcare infrastructure in August 2016 after he carried the body of his wife, Amangdei, on his shoulders for around 10 kilometres from the district headquarters hospital in Bhabanipatana. He had allegedly failed to arrange a vehicle to transport her body to their village after she died while undergoing treatment in the hospital’s tuberculosis ward.
Images and videos of Majhi’s journey sparked widespread outrage and attracted global attention, prompting debate over healthcare access and emergency transport facilities in remote parts of Odisha.
