India's attempt to bring home an Academy Award just got a Malaysian twist. Mirror has learnt that the indie film, Liar's Dice, which is India's official entry to the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language category this year, has got an international promoter on board. Datuk Vinod Shekhar, a Malaysian tycoon, has joined hands with director Geetu Mohandas to give the film a much-needed push in Los Angeles.

A source told Mirror, “One of the reasons why Indian films never make the final cut, is their lack of visibility in LA trade circles. It costs a large amount of money to start a campaign in December and sustain it till February. Liar's Dice's chances have got a boost with Datuk Vinod Shekhar's financial assistance.“

The team has already hired the services of Required Viewing, a marketing firm run by Steven Raphael and MJ Peckos, who specialise in mobilising support for international films in the Academy Award circuit. The last two films that they worked on ­ War Witch (2013) and Omar (2014) ­ made it to the Top 5 in the Best Foreign Film Category.

“The Oscar campaign is all about getting your film noticed by the voting members of AMPAS (Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences),“ Mohandas pointed out. When asked how the Malaysian businessman got involved, she said, “Datuk Vinod loved the film. He is an intelligent businessman and has a vision for Liar's Dice. Our first step is to make it to the Top 9 and we are having multiple screenings for AMPAS members. We have also been featured in the top trade magazines.“

Speaking to Mirror from Kuala Lampur, Datuk Vinod Shekar admitted that he was captivated by the story. “It was trying to tell an important story about migrant labour and their struggles.When Geetu approached me, I felt her film deserved an Oscar and it should be supported so that its chances of victory improve,“ he asserted.

India has never won an Oscar in the Best Foreign Film category. Ashutosh Gowariker's Lagaan made it to the Top 5 in 2001, but lost out to Bosnian drama, No Man's Land.
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Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; December 8, 2014)

Geetu Mohandas’s directorial debut Liar’s Dice is busy prepping itself for the Oscar race. Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Geetanjali Thapa in the lead role, the film is India’s official entry to the Academy Awards this year.

Interestingly, there are several forces that have joined hands with Jar Pictures — the producers of the film — to make sure the selected film’s journey to the Oscar is smooth. For the same, several entities have come forward. Datuk Vinod Shekhar, a Malaysian Indian tycoon who heads Petra Group, has come on board as producer of the film.

A source close to the film revealed, “The producers as well as the director are in USA currently planning the strategies to promote the film as best as they can. Generally, the travelling films lose out because of lack of exposure.” The Oscar campaign for Liar’s Dice is being managed by MJ Peckos and Steve Raphael of Required Viewing Inc, an USbased awards consultants. They have managed acclaimed films like Omar and War Witch in the past. The former made the cut in the Best Foreign Feature Film category in 2014 and the latter, a year earlier.

The top five films list for the aforementioned category is likely to be announced by the end of this month.