French Legacy: A Man's Fight for Identity

Pankaj Rishi Kumar's documentary, 'To Die A Frenchman,' which recently had a private screening in Kolkata after its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, delves into the life of Monsieur Mounissamy. Mounissamy identified as French by spirit and hope, challenging the integration of the French colony in Puducherry with India.

The film was inspired by Mounissamy's counter-arguments when Kumar was initially in Puducherry to film the Tamil French community during their presidential elections in 2012. Disillusionment with both French and Indian government actions prompted Kumar to focus independently on Mounissamy's story, considering its significance in light of Chandernagore's history.

'To Die A Frenchman' tenderly portrays Mounissamy's struggle for dignity and belonging in the wake of the French withdrawal in 1962. It highlights how many awoke feeling like strangers in their own land, while Mounissamy led a quiet, often invisible, rebellion to ensure his identity was not erased by fractured history.