Entertainment
Interview: Jigna Vora on ‘Scoop’, her incarceration, acquittal, and her attempts to rebuild her life
‘Scoop’ on Netflix, directed by Hansal Mehta, is inspired by crime reporter Jigna Vora’s memoir ‘Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison’
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta's debut web-series Scoop released on Netflix on June 2. Inspired by Jigna Vora’s memoir Behind Bars In Byculla: My Days In Prison, it follows the life of a crime reporter who became entangled in the crime she was investigating — ultimately leading to her incarceration.
Subhash K Jha speaks to Jigna Vora on her thoughts about Scoop, her incarceration, acquittal, and her attempts to rebuild her life.
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Have you seen Hansal Mehta's stunning series on your traumatic experience in prison? I have and was profoundly moved. How closely were you associated with the series?
I haven’t seen whole series yet. Based on whatever I have seen, I am really taken aback by the fact that Hansal Mehta adapted my book Behind Bars In Byculla: My Days In Prison. It [the series] will definitely be a eye opener and be relatable to many women like me who are struggling in a male predominated field.
What did you think of Karishma Tanna playing you?
From whatever I have seen, Karishma has done fabulous job. She resembles me to great extent.
Watching the series I often wondered why you were chosen to be the 'Fall Girl' in the J Dey murder case?
Twelve years down the line, believe me, this question still haunts me. I also want to know why me? During my early days in jail I kept wondering what I had done wrong to be here but gradually I accepted the situation.
One can’t even begin to imagine the suffering and trauma you went through. In your darkest hour where did you find your strength to go on?
Faith in God, my family and karma! If you have read my book, I have written about how I used to chant the Hanuman Chalisa continuously — perhaps 300 to 400 times a day — and it gave me immense strength and made miracles possible.
The series shows almost all your media colleagues except your incredibly supportive editor, turning against you.What do you have to say about the lack of solidarity within your fraternity that you faced?
This question should be ideally asked to the media. Yes, it hurts more that even the media didn’t even spare me.
The series shows you had a very supportive family but a truly treacherous boyfriend. Was this time a true test of who were your real well-wishers? How did you cope with the betrayals?
You know the saying, difficult situations show real faces. So I became aware of many real faces during last twelve years. My list of betrayals is long...people tried to take advantage of the situation and vulnerability. People who claimed to be "like family" backstabbed me the most — they capitalised on my life. I remember once during my reporting days, one senior IPS officer had told me, "Jigna,there are all vultures out here", and I experienced this. So I learnt my lessons the hard way.
Now that you have your freedom again, what are you doing with it? Has the healing and rehabilitation been tough?
What freedom are you talking about? I have been acquitted in 2018 and yet I live in constant fear, with no job in hand. I struggle everyday with myself. Yes, I have healed myself to a great extent by doing to vipassana and meditation. I have forgiven many people.
What is your advice to all those journalists who tend to cross the line in the quest for scoops?
I think today’s journalists are smart enough! They know very well what they have to do.
Finally, your struggle and victory in proving your innocence is highly inspiring. What do you have to say about the thousands of undertrials languishing in jail for crimes they never committed?
Everyone under trial has a backstory. We, as a society, should try to understand this and help them by counselling, channelling their destructive energies in a positive way. Even now if I apply for a job, I am told that the HR has a policy, they can’t hire a person with a criminal record. Where do I go? What do I do? I was fortunate that my family was there to take care of me and my son was financially and mentally stable. As a society, we should have various corrective programs designed for undertrials.
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