Netflix stays mum on Skater Girl controversy; Asha Gond says she's upset and angry
Lots of talk has been going on about this film and till now, Netflix has not responded to any of it. But many have come in support of Asha Gond and said that justice needs to be done for her.
By Bhavana Published on 8 July 2021 12:30 PM GMT
Hyderabad: Skater Girl, a Netflix series that was out recently is in trouble. The series made headlines after the news about the movie's story being stolen went viral. Skater Girl is about the life of a 16-year-old Prerna (Rachel Saanchita Gupta), who is a huge fan of skateboarding and believes she gets a taste of freedom with it. The catalyst is her discovery of Jessica (Amy Maghera), a British-Indian who is in the village on a personal quest.
Jessica is amazed and moved by the love and enthusiasm the little girl has for skateboarding and is keen on changing their lives. Jessica and friend Erick (Jonathan Readwin) decide to build a skate park and help kids foster their new passion.
As per a popular news portal, Skater Girl is based on the life of Asha Gond, a tribal girl from Janwaar in Panna, Madhya Pradesh, and Ulrike Reinhard, a German national who set up the Janwaar Castle skatepark there in March 2015. This has created a platform to challenge the generational neglect of indigenous people of India.
Tribal Army, a popular Twitterati, tweeted, "Asha Gond's story was stolen by @netflix without permission or appropriate compensation to create their film "#SkaterGirl ". Please provide just compensation to Asha, her family, & others involved instead of capitalising on stories of marginalized Indigenous tribe communities. (sic)"
A lot of talk has been going on about this film and till now, Netflix has not responded to any of it. But many have come in support of Asha Gond and said that justice needs to be done for her.
Recently, talking to Vice International, Asha Gond said that she was surprised after seeing the trailer. "I was surprised that the trailer had a story very similar to mine. After watching Skater Girl I wrote to the filmmakers asking them as to why they didn't credit us. We have worked so hard to bring about societal change. They never got back and now nothing can be done."
Asha added that the film falls short of capturing their experiences with caste and gender bias. "The film made me so angry and upset. So much of our lives has inspired the film but we did not get any credit. We don't need money. It would have really helped if people knew on whom the story is based."
