The idea for this short film was sparked by a newspaper report about a leopard that wandered out of the jungle and into the district court of Ghaziabad, causing chaos in the courtroom. Forest officials managed to capture the animal after much effort, but not before the day’s court proceedings came to a halt. The incident raised an intriguing question — why did the leopard come to court?
This thought led to a flurry of imaginative possibilities. Perhaps the leopard had come to ask something of the judge, or to file a petition. But in real life, the leopard was caught before it could speak and was branded an “intruder” on television.
However, in this short film, the leopard isn’t captured. Instead, he makes his way to the home of the very news reporter who labeled him an intruder on live TV. Having learned to speak the human language, the leopard gives the reporter an exclusive interview — one where he questions the hypocrisy of a species that proudly cites constitutional rights for itself while routinely ignoring the rights of all other beings.
This surreal encounter becomes a sharp commentary on justice, co-existence, and the forgotten voices of the natural world.
Directed by Dheeraj Bhatnagar (India)