Almost two years after Guneet Monga's Period. End Of Sentence bagged the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject, India continues to eye the coveted golden statuette for Best International Feature Film. On Wednesday, the Film Federation of India announced that Malayalam film Jallikattu has been selected as India's official entry for the category at the 93rd Academy Awards.

Antony Varghese, the leading man of the Lijo Jose Pellissery-directed venture, says that he thought it was a prank when the first few congratulatory calls came his way. "I realised we have made the cut only when I started getting countless calls. I hadn't imagined in my wildest dreams that our film would be a contender at the Oscars. We blindly followed Lijo's vision," says the ebullient actor.

Jallikattu revolves around a tamed buffalo that liberates itself on the eve of its scheduled slaughter and runs amok in Kerala. It was chosen from 27 films that included Chaitanya Tamhane's much acclaimed The Disciple, Gulabo Sitabo, Chhapaak, Eeb Allay Ooo, and Chintu Ka Birthday.

Rahul Rawail, chairman, jury board, lauded the film as much for its technical excellence as for its powerful storytelling. "The movie is rooted in the Indian ethos. The jury found it deeply engaging and is confident [about its prospects]. We hope it makes it to the top nine [nominations] at least." In what is characteristic of a discerning jury, Rawail adds that the 14-member committee constantly debated as they picked the best of the lot. "We debated and argued over the films, and at the end of the day, the decision of the majority [prevailed]."