Indian Doc ‘A Fly on the Wall’ Tackles Death with Dignity

Indian documentary “A Fly on the Wall,” directed by Nilesh Maniyar and Shonali Bose, is set to make its world premiere in the Wide Angle Documentary competition at the Busan International Film Festival. A teaser has been unveiled.

The film follows the final days of Chika Kapadia, given four months to live, who has chosen to end his life through physician-assisted suicide at Dignitas in Switzerland. The filmmakers, tasked with documenting Kapadia’s countdown to death, capture both his journey and their own emotional response.

This is the third feature film collaboration between Maniyar and Bose presented at Busan, following “The Sky Is Pink” and “Margarita with a Straw.”

Bose describes the project’s origins: “This film was not a choice, it was a dying wish that we acted on. Chika, my friend of 25 years, approached Nilesh and me with a deeply personal mission: to capture how peaceful physician-assisted suicide could be, hoping to reduce the fear and alarm surrounding it. He was willing to make something as intimate as his death public because he believed it was crucial to start this conversation. In those turbulent two weeks leading up to his death in Zurich, I was just coping and following Nilesh’s lead where the film was concerned.”

Maniyar adds, “My first reaction was how does one go through with physician assisted suicide and not have the greed of that extra moment of breath that you could possibly have. But I could see how sure Chika was about not being tied to tubes and wires in his last moment. What began as Chika’s personal quest became a joint mission for all three of us – Chika, Shonali and myself. And in that came a question of the fact that a filmmaker is a friend too. So, when I asked Shonali to turn the camera towards herself, I knew why, but I didn’t know how it would pan out.”

The directors aim to spark conversations about end-of-life choices and dignity in death. “I hope the film encourages audiences to think deeply about the right to die with dignity. He believed this option should be available, affordable, and accessible to everyone, not just a privileged few who can travel to places like Switzerland. We want the film to spark conversations that help destigmatize physician-assisted suicide and confront the ethical and human rights implications of denying people control over their end-of-life choices,” Maniyar says.

Bose emphasizes the film’s broader message: “Ultimately, for me it is also about removing the fear around death and viewing it as a part of life – something that can be peaceful and dignified. We want viewers to reflect on these issues and consider the humanity behind them.”

Watch the teaser here:

The Busan International Film Festival takes place Oct. 2-11.