Malayalam documentary on Justice Fathima Beevi throws light on her life as a trailblazer

Directed by Priya Ravindran, Neethipathayile Dheera Vanitha, a 30-minute documentary, highlights the journey of the first woman judge of the Supreme Court

On October 6, 1989, M Fathima Beevi, a quiet woman from a village in Pathanamthitta in Kerala, made history when she became the first woman in Asia to become a Judge of the Supreme Court.

A documentary Neethipathayile Dheera Vanitha  (A Brave Woman on the Path of Justice) was screened on March 8, 2023, in Thiruvananthapuram to pay tribute to Justice Fathima Beevi, who also served as Governor of Tamil Nadu from 1997 to 2001. Directed by Priya Ravindran and scripted by R Parvathi Devi, the 30-minute documentary produced by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation, throws light on Fathima Beevi’s journey to the Supreme Court.

In September 1921, social activist Parvathy happened to meet Fathima Beevi at a function to honour her. Since the jurist was unable to travel to attend the function in Thiruvananthapuram, Parvathy and Suja Susan George, director of Malayalam Mission, travelled to Pathanamthitta to hand over the award. That is when they realised how much this trailblazer had faded into the past and decided to do a documentary on her.

However, Priya believes that the documentary should have been made at least five years ago when many of Fathima Beevi’s contemporaries were still there. Eminent jurists such as Justice KK Usha and Justice Fathima Rahman, who was also a friend of Fathima Beevi, had passed away. At present, there are only one or two people like Justice KT Thomas who was in the judiciary with Fathima Beevi. “At present, 95-year-old Fathima Beevi’s memory plays tricks on her and she finds it difficult to move around. Many of those who worked with her or studied with her have passed on. So, we had to rely on documentation about her as a model student and judge,” says Priya.

Instead of the usual narrative of people talking about her or a fictionalised narrative with quotes from the protagonist herself, Priya decided to document the life of the pioneer. Danseuse Rajasree Warrier’s evocative narration brings alive the journey of a woman who carved a path of her own in the judiciary.

Born on April 30, 1927, in Pathanamthitta town in erstwhile Travancore, Fathima Beevi was the eldest of eight children born to Annaveetil Meera Sahib and Khadeeja Beevi.

Priya says that, unlike most conservative men from the community, Meera Sahib, who worked as a sub-registrar officer, was keen on educating all his children. Thus, his eldest daughter came to Thiruvananthapuram to pursue her higher studies. “At a time when most women were not allowed to leave their homes, here was a woman from a conservative community who stayed in a hostel, Sree Narayana Vidyarthini Sadanam at Vanross Junction in Thiruvananthapuram,” points out Priya.