Post RRR’s recent Golden Globes win and now with his film Vikrant Rona making it to the Oscar contenders list, Kichcha Sudeep dwells on the prominence of Indian cinema on an international platform today and what it means to the film industry as well as to him personally. Excerpts:

It’s an honour. Anyone in my place would be overwhelmed by it. The film took off when there was still fear of Coronavirus and when all doors were closed, especially those of the financial institutions. But we still went on floors, completed the film without a hitch, released it and moved on with our lives. But then, one fine day, someone knocked on the door and said, ‘Hey! Someone else has also watched your film, and they are taking it to the international arena.’ Well, that was the knock that I heard that morning when Vikrant Rona made it to the Oscars’ nomination contenders list. This was not something we were expecting or even looking forward to, as no extra effort was put into being recognized by them. The hard work we put in, especially during COVID, seems to have paid off.

One can’t really point at one aspect and say that was it. The film is a content-driven film, and so there were no changes made to the story just to cash in on star power. Planning something like Vikrant Rona, and creating this whole new world that took both — us and the audience back in time was a mammoth task. We enjoyed every bit of the making process, more so because it was something new for all of us. I think the fact that we were able to place ourselves in an era that we do not belong to was one of the many aspects that helped make the cut. The film making it to this list is a huge pat on our back, a way of acknowledging that there was exemplary work done, and that people across the world have noticed and appreciated your work.

I know the team from close quarters, as I have worked with them. The excitement they carry and the effort they put into every film is amazing. They have all worked towards one vision, and all those efforts are now paying off. Their excitement is as catchy as their song Naatu Naatu. The composer, Keeravani Sir is so humble, and that makes him even more special. The award is well-deserved. I was, honestly, very happy to wake up to the news that day.

I don’t know what it means to the entire film fraternity. But I just know that it means a lot to me as a person. Every time we make a film, we hope to reach out to, and also impress a lot more people than we did the last time. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we fail. However, when we make a film, we put in the same kind of effort irrespective of whether it is being released in one language or more. Pan-India became an add-on phrase to films that reach out to a larger audience across the country. And now, with our films making a mark on the international scene, we now have pan-world. It makes us believe in the possibility of narrating a story that the entire world can relate to. It gives us the confidence to tell better stories as you know that the world will be watching.