States » WestPosted at: Oct 4 2026 4:51PM


Elderly Lavate couple's plea seeking right to die sparked rising trend of similar petitions: Filmmaker Sumira Roy

Mumbai, Oct 4 (UNI) National Award-winning filmmaker Sumira Roy has said that the petition filed by Mumbai's elderly Lavate couple seeking the right to die together with dignity has triggered a growing trend of similar appeals, bringing the sensitive issue into wider public discussion.
Roy, whose documentary 'Bhangaar' (Obsolete) won the Best Non-Feature Film award at the 72nd National Film Awards, said several people approached Narayan Lavate seeking copies of his petition to file similar applications.
"After his appeal, many people wrote to him asking him to send them a copy of the petition, so that they could use the legal language he had used and petition themselves. At that time, it became a rising trend for many people to appeal," Roy said here, speaking at a special screening of her documentary.
However, she pointed out that the reasons behind such petitions differed from person to person, with individual circumstances and personal experiences shaping their decisions.
The documentary chronicles the lives of Irawati and Narayan Krishnaji Lavate, an octogenarian couple from Mumbai who had spent more than five decades together and sought legal permission to end their lives jointly with dignity.
Narayan Lavate, who was known for his extensive knowledge of the Constitution, argued that the right to live inherently included the right to die. Their petition brought renewed attention to questions of personal autonomy, ageing and the legal aspects of the right to die.
Roy said the issue was not confined to India, as euthanasia and the right to die with dignity have also been debated in the legislatures of several countries where laws permitting the practice are not in place.
Speaking about the central message of her documentary, Roy said society must move beyond providing only physical care to elderly people and pay equal attention to their emotional wellbeing.
"The message the film sends is that there is a need for us to have a conversation with the elderly. We may be taking care of them physically, but there is also a need to take care of them emotionally. That is the message I have to give to the nation," she said.
Roy spent around four-and-a-half years documenting the couple's everyday lives, conversations and relationship. Instead of judging their decision, she chose to present their experiences and allow viewers to draw their own conclusions.
She said elderly people often need someone who will listen to their concerns, understand their wishes and recognise their emotional needs.
The broader conversation about ageing, she stressed, should include dignity, companionship and the right of senior citizens to express their choices.
The National Award has provided the documentary with a wider platform, bringing the story of the Lavate couple and the larger debate on dignity in old age to national attention.
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