Filmmaker Pa Ranjith, who, apart from operating in cinema, is also into activism against atrocities meted out to oppressed communities, has released the trailer of a documentary on the tragic Mancholai killings that took place in 1998.

The film, directed and edited by Sam, is backed by Ranjith's Neelam Social and Che Productions.

The Mancholai killings refer to a tragic incident that occurred on October 25, 1998, in Mancholai, a village in Tirunelveli. On that day, 17 labourers, including 11 women and 6 men, were brutally murdered by a group of uniformed personnel, alleged to be from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The victims, mostly tea plantation workers, were part of a labour union demanding better wages and working conditions. The CRPF personnel were deployed in the area to quell the unrest.

A probe into the incident revealed that the CRPF personnel had opened fire on the unarmed labourers, killing 17 and injuring several others.

The incident sparked widespread outrage and condemnation, leading to a judicial inquiry and criminal cases against the accused personnel.