Journalist Barkha Dutt has voiced her disappointment and frustration with Netflix’s latest offering, Black Warrant, for erasing the contributions of her mother, Prabha Dutt, who is recently shown in the latest Netflix series ‘Black Warrant’.
In a social media post, Barkha Dutt described the series as “disappointing, bewildering, and frankly so very unfair” for failing to acknowledge her mother’s pivotal role in covering the story of the notorious child killers Billa and Ranga. Prabha Dutt had made history by petitioning the Supreme Court to interview the duo before their execution—a groundbreaking feat at a time when women in journalism were few and far between.
“Decades ago, when there were hardly any women in journalism, this was pathbreaking, even risky,” Barkha wrote, emphasizing the courage and determination her mother displayed in pursuing the story. “It is, in my opinion, a disservice to all women who battle to break such barriers to not so much as acknowledge the real person and their act of chutzpah and courage—not even as a footnote or small mention—when other key characters in the story go by their actual names.”
Disappointing, bewildering & frankly so very unfair that the well documented role of my trailblazing mother, Prabha Dutt, who petitioned Supreme Court to interview child killers Billa Ranga before their hanging, is erased / presented as a fictional character in Black Warrant.… pic.twitter.com/ZSFeZNPqUN
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) January 12, 2025
Prabha Dutt’s Role in the Billa-Ranga Case
Prabha Dutt’s role in the Billa-Ranga case was widely reported in the press at the time. Her petition to interview the convicted killers ahead of their hanging not only highlighted her journalistic grit but also set a precedent for investigative reporting in India. Despite this well-documented history, Black Warrant chose to fictionalize her character while retaining the real names of other central figures in the story, a decision that Barkha called a glaring oversight.
“This erasure is not just personal; it undermines the contribution of a woman who made history at great personal and professional risk,” Barkha noted.
Barkha’s criticism of Black Warrant underscores the larger issue of recognizing and honoring the contributions of women who have challenged norms and paved the way for others in their fields.
“Sharing just a few of the zillion articles on how Prabha Dutt made history,” Barkha wrote, attaching archival pieces that documented her mother’s groundbreaking work.
As Barkha concluded in her post, “This isn’t just about my mother; it’s about every woman who dares to break barriers, only to have their story erased or diminished. Let us do better.”
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