Actor Richa Chadha has never been one to mince her words. In the wake of Laapataa Ladies failing to make it to the Oscar shortlist, Chadha asserts the need for women’s representation in the Film Federation of India’s (FFI) 13-member jury, which selects India’s official entry to the Academy Awards.

“It has been a great year. Santosh (directed by Sandhya Suri) has entered (Oscar shortlist in the International Feature Film category) from the UK. While that’s great, it also means that we have a responsibility to look at our stories. Whether it is Santosh, or Anuja (produced by Guneet Monga Kapoor), we have to acknowledge ki ye bhi kahaaniyan hai,” says Chadha, who has turned producer with the coming-of-age drama, Girls Will Be Girls.

Pointing out the lack of female representation in the FFI jury, she adds, “In a year when there are so many feminist films, like Laapataa Ladies and All We Imagine As Light, why do we have only men in the selection committee? Women need to have a representation.”

Earlier, the FFI had created an uproar with the choice of words used in the citation that announced Laapataa Ladies as India’s official entry to the Oscars. In it, they had referred to Indian women as a mix of “domination and submission”. “Laapataa Ladies is a great film, but the citation was funny. As a woman, I remember it,” she signs off.

In a year filled with heavyweights, it was Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies that emerged as India’s official entry to the 2025 Oscars. Unfolding in the heart of rural India, this film is a commentary on patriarchy, which juxtaposes humour with deep societal critique. With a backdrop of dusty Madhya Pradesh villages and real-life locales, the film captures the essence of a lost India, where women disappear—figuratively and literally—amid the chaos of cultural expectations.

When the Film Federation Of India revealed that Laapataa Ladies would carry the nation’s hopes at the Academy Awards, cinephiles cheered—but not everyone was convinced. Selected from 29 films, including Animal, Kalki 2898 AD, and All We Imagine As Light (AWIAL), the victory was both sweet and surprising. While many celebrated Rao’s comeback and the film’s understated brilliance, others couldn’t help but voice their discontent over what they saw as missed opportunities. Fans of All We Imagine As Light, a Cannes sensation, took to social media in droves. The Payal Kapadia-starrer is considered to be one that has a real shot at Oscars. Their argument? That Laapataa Ladies, while charming, lacks the international appeal of its more polished competitors.

Celebrated writer Varun Grover tweeted, “I mean it was expected that the chaaploos mandali (who can’t even write a citation with any attention to detail or meaning) will never select a film by someone who has questioned their authority. And, it’s still heartbreaking. We rarely get such a strong contender as AWIAL. At the same time, happy for Kiran Rao and her team. They made a sensitive, progressive, rooted film told beautifully through a new set of actors (and a hate-speecher)—and totally deserve a shot at glory. Best wishes to them. Jai Ho!”

While Grover didn’t wish to elaborate on the subject beyond this tweet, an indie favourite filmmaker tells us: “It’s undeniable that AWIAL was a stronger contender and should have been picked. The primary reason for this getting picked is Aamir Khan’s previous record with Lagaan. His ability to get visibility increases his chances of actually bringing home the Oscar.”

Laapataa Ladies was a unanimous decision, Jahnu Barua, the head of the Federation, told us. He told mid-day, “The film resonated deeply with us because it brings forward global social issues that are rarely explored on screen. As jurors, we want to select a film that has the best chance of making it into the Oscar nominations. The jury did deliberate over the AWIAL. It’s a significant work that deserves attention, especially since there were high expectations surrounding it. However, we felt that there were technical aspects that could have been stronger. When selecting a film for the Oscars, many factors come into play. While the subject was undeniably powerful, and Payal has crafted it beautifully, we ultimately had to make a tough choice. We wish we could have chosen both.”

So what is one looking for while choosing India’s entry to the Oscars? We asked Pan Nalin about his film Last Film Show (also known as Chhello Show) which beat RRR to get chosen as India’s official entry, much to the horror of fans.

Nalin said, “In our case, it was a complete surprise. You know, we were not even sure that we would ever get selected. The buzz in India was of very big, popular films. But when it comes to Oscars, it’s not really about popularity, but the film which will speak to the members of the academy in the US. So, from that point of view, I guess they must have voted for us. And once we become an entry, it’s a big work, you know, we need to do as a producer and director. It’s really huge work. You know, you need to mount a massive campaign in Hollywood. You need to organize quite a lot of screening for the members of the Academy. So, in our time, there were, for example, 102 films from 102 different countries. And the first round of voting leaves 15 film shortlist nominations. So, we were shortlisted. Voting is done purely by the Academy. India has no role to play there. All the academy members have to watch the film in order to vote. When we got shortlisted, you know, it was after a 21-year gap. Before that, the film which got shortlisted was Lagaan and went on to get the nomination. Our journey stopped there. And we also realized a couple of things while we were doing the campaign. Because we had no idea, we were learning as we were running the campaign for India. When the Oscar shortlist is announced, it’s actually the map of each country shown in the Academy screen. So, it’s neither the director nor the film. It’s actually you who is representing a country. You are representing a flag when you go there. The film was luckily very heavily appreciated. We were invited at the Academy to do multiple screenings. But where we lacked is time and money. Because you do need a lot of funds, you know, to mark the campaign. And advertising in international media and the US media is really expensive. The billboards alone are costly and you need to really have a great campaign. In the past five years, the publicity campaign has become aggressive and expensive. It’s very much like an election. You have to really make sure that every vote is earned. And the only way to earn a vote is maximum people have to see your film, who are the members of the academy.”

Nalin says the jury is looking for a universal story. “It is important because we were already acquired by an American distributor called Samuel Goldwyn Films. The fact that it speaks to an international audience is a plus. It is a gamble that must speak to international jury and voting committee members of the academy. The film has to be universal to start with because most of the Academy members are American, you know, I would say almost 85 per cent of them. Since the past 15 years, it has been very inclusive. Lots of foreign country members are being invited who are in the Academy. Now, I am a voting member as well. We know that if we had the right amount of funds and time, we would have gone much further in the campaign. But we had no example to fall upon. We had no master class to learn something from other examples. Because none of the films from India had made it up to that in 20 years, since Lagaan. It makes sense that Aamir Khan has a shot at this again. Laapataa has a chance to make it.”

The one element connecting the two films is Chhaya Kadam—who appears as Manju Mai in Rao’s film and is currently in France for the premiere of AWIAL.

She told us, “I’m absolutely thrilled and overjoyed! It’s such a proud moment for me to see Laapataa Ladies chosen as India’s official Oscar entry. At the same time, I’m in Paris for the premiere of All We Imagine As Light, which has been shortlisted by France as a possible submission for the 2025 Oscars. It’s truly exciting to have both films recognized on an international stage.” Is there a chance for AWIAL still? “I would have wanted to see them both at the Oscars. It might still happen,” she said optimistically.

Nandini Ramnath, film critic, Scroll.in, tells us choosing the best pick is a tough choice regardless, because of the diversity of the films being made.

“A few factors work in the favour of Laapataa Ladies: it has Aamir Khan as one of three producers; he has had previous experience with Lagaan; Laapataa Ladies is easily available to the Academy voters by virtue of already being on Netflix all over the world. I have watched both films. They are very different. Laapataa Ladies is a sweet modern-day fairy tale told in a realistic manner. All We Imagine As Light is a textured exploration of the shades of feminine desire and a quest for meaning. Given the current tendency of the Oscars to be more receptive to all kinds of storytelling styles from around the world, rather than just a certain kind of global-local international film, Payal Kapadia’s feature debut would have been an excellent contender too, especially given its Cannes award. Movies speak differently to different sets of viewers. What works at a film festival often doesn’t work for the Oscar voters. In general, films that can communicate their themes well and have layers in their plotting, performances and filmmaking language can travel to any corner of the world, regardless of the theme.”

When we asked her how she thinks politics and personal biases play into the selection process for India’s Oscar entries, Ramnath has the last word, “I think it fair to say that the Film Federation of India, for all its drawbacks, has been trying to keep away from political choices. If that were the case, the jury would have picked a propaganda film.”

Confusion around India’s official submission to the Oscars started on Tuesday morning, when the makers of Swantantrya Veer Savarkar announced that their film had been “officially submitted” to the Oscars, thanking the FFI for “this remarkable appreciation.” This came a day after the FFI (Film Federation Of India) announced Laapataa Ladies as this year’s submission.

When HT City reached out to FFI president Ravi Kottakara, he laughed at the claim, saying, “They (the makers) have given some wrong communication... Only Laapataa Ladies has been sent for Oscars from India officially.”

The announcement was a collab Instagram post by co-producer Sandeep Singh, and the film’s production houses and actor Ankita Lokhande. However, director and lead actor Randeep Hooda did not share any updates on his social media. A source close to the situation told us, “This is very shady. Even a quote attributed to Randeep was given out in press releases when he has not given a quote.”

We tried to reach out to Hooda, but he was unavailable for comment. There was no response from Singh and Lokhande either.

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I didn’t know when the film was submitted; I was told about it on Monday. Going to the Oscars is a big milestone. I am, of course, very happy.

- ANAND PANDIT, CO-PRODUCER OF THE FILM

Ahead of his Best Foreign Film and Best Song win for Naatu Naatu at the 28th edition of the Critics Choice Awards, Rajamouli spoke to international publication Hollywood Reporter about RRR’s dream run at the Hollywood awards season so far (which includes the New York Film Critics Circle Award for the Best Director and a Best Original Song – Motion Picture Golden Globe for Naatu Naatu).

When asked if it was frustrating or disappointing to learn the film would not be India’s official Oscar entry, Rajamouli told the publication, “Yeah, it is disappointing. But we are not the kind of people who would sit and brood on why it didn’t happen. What has happened has happened and we should go forward with it. But I am happy because it (Chhello Show) is also an Indian film and it has also been shortlisted for Oscars. I’m quite happy for it. Of course, everyone knew RRR had a much bigger chance. Here (in the US) everyone felt RRR had a bigger chance.”

Rajamouli was also asked about The Lunchbox (2013), which wasn’t submitted for International Feature (at Oscars) either, despite many speculating that it was the sure-shot winner that year, and his view on the process of selection of India’s official entries.

The director said, “I don’t know how the committee (Film Federation of India aka FFI – which selects India’s Oscar entry), or the guidelines of the committee...how they do the stuff. I don’t know that and I can’t comment on it. What I really feel bad about for is The Lunchbox. For me...I don’t make films for critical acclaim. I make films for money, I make films for the audiences, it (RRR) is a commercial film, and once my film commercially does well, I’m very happy with it. And Awards are an extension to it. It is for the hard work that my unit put in and I’m happy for that. But for The Lunchbox, it is different. It is different and it would have been a great achievement for India – and it is not just for The Lunchbox – but for many many filmmakers and many, many films (that) would find encouragement to tell their stories to the world. So that’s a huge opportunity lost. I feel very bad for that.”

When asked if he thought RRR’s many wins will make the committee rethink its selection process, Rajamouli replied, “Hopefully”.

Much has been said since the Gujarati film Chhello Show (The Last Film Show) by Pan Nalin was chosen as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category of the 95th Academy Awards. The Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) and Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has demanded the film’s selection for the Oscars be reversed and alleged that it is a rip-off of the 1988 Oscar-winning film Cinema Paradiso. This is in addition to fans being furious that it was picked over RRR. The director has stated that he is “disappointed by his industry peers’ lack of support”.

I was disheartened. We have done zero lobbying. Many people think whatever is most popular is going to get an Oscar. If they Googled, they would know what the trend is in terms of international films. I knew other fellow filmmakers from other countries, where they were being celebrated and preparing to go for Oscars, and meanwhile, we were dealing with this backlash.

I wondered how it came about. My cinematographer is from Maharashtra, chief assistant director is from Himachal Pradesh, others are from Kerala, Mumbai and Gujarat, etc. Maybe it was misinterpreted because we have a foreign sales agent.

I guess if anyone decides to make a film about their love for cinema, it might look like Cinema Paradiso, but there will be many other things to it. I request people to watch the film before coming to a conclusion.

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Producer of the film, Sidharth Roy Kapur, has reacted to the allegations levelled by FWICE, “I think we should look at the future since we’re representing India now and we’ve been selected by the Film Federation of India (FFI). We’re honoured and privileged to be given the responsibility to represent our country. Film is such a subjective medium, and everyone will have an opinion on it, nothing is black or white. There’s a jury that was put together and they selected us. We will do our best to bring glory to the country, that’s where I’d like to leave it. It is a free country and everyone is entitled to an opinion,” he told The Indian Express.

Last week, the selection of Pan Nalin’s Chhello Show as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards took many by surprise. It came as a blow to cinephiles who thought India would have a shot at winning the golden statuette this time with SS Rajamouli’s RRR — the magnum opus has not only been among the biggest hits of the year so far, but has also gone on to find fans in Hollywood and international markets. Vivek Agnihotri’s 'The Kashmir Files', too was said to be a frontrunner.

Now, mid-day has learnt that a delegation from the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) will visit Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, soon to appeal for the reversal of the decision taken by the Film Federation of India (FFI). Additionally, the FWICE wants the nomination process of Oscar entries to be changed, recommending that the I&B Ministry play an active role in it, as it does for the National Film Awards.

The FWICE’s primary allegation is that Chhello Show had received its Censor certificate in December 2021. This goes against the criterion that the film must have earned a Censor certificate only after January 2022 to qualify for the Oscars 2023 nomination.

Ashoke Pandit, chief advisor, FWICE, says, “We are [questioning] the faulty system and the casual method by which a film is selected. The team of [Chhello Show] had applied last year. How can it apply twice? The [past record] of FFI proves that they are not capable of sending the correct movies. When a country and its cinema are being represented, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting should take over, like they do with the National Awards. When the government gets in [the picture], the system becomes organised.”

Pandit also notes that the Gujarati movie is a foreign production, and has been considered as Siddharth Roy Kapur Films acquired its distribution rights this year. Hopeful that Thakur will consider the body’s appeal, Pandit adds that it will take merely “a week” to find a fitting entry. “The jury can be constituted in 24 hours, and there are only 13 films to be considered,” he asserts.

This year, the FFI had put together a 17-member jury, comprising chairman T S Nagabharana, director Sangeeth Sivan, composer Jatin Pandit, producer Anjan Bose, art director Bijon Dasgupta and many more. The jury studied the 13 entries — which included Hindi films 'Anek' and 'Badhaai Do', Tamil film Iravin Nizhal and Bengali drama Aparajito — before arriving at a decision.

Asked how Chhello Show was in the running despite not satisfying the censor certification criterion, T P Aggarwal, president, FFI, explains, “It couldn’t release last year due to the pandemic. So, the producers sent [an explanatory] letter to the FFI, and we wrote to the Academy, asking if we could enter it in 2022. After the Academy gave their permission to consider the film again, we went ahead. Ours is a transparent selection process as we give the information to all the producers’ bodies.”

Aggarwal is unfazed by claims that the movie borrows heavily from the Oscar-winning film, Cinema Paradiso (1988). “A couple of shots may be similar, but you cannot call it a copy. Chhello Show is director Pan Nalin’s autobiography [of sorts]. This [fiasco] happens every time when certain films don’t get selected. Those upset about Chhello Show’s selection are [feeling so] because they were more interested in The Kashmir Files going to the Oscars.”

India’s official entry to the Oscars this year, Chhello Show is mired in controversy. After FWICE claimed that the film that released in English is produced by foreign studios and is not an Indian film, the Gujarati film was tagged as a copy of Cinema Paradiso (1988).

The director of Chhello Show, Pan Nalin, reacted on Twitter. “Copy? Homage? Inspiration? Original? Find out yourself on 14.10.2022 in cinemas near you. Power to the people, let them decide,” he wrote.

Another controversy is about it not being an Indian film. The Film Federation of India (FFI) that selected the film reacted to the same. FFI president T P Aggarwal told Indian Express, “I can’t say anything about that, I am not sure about it.” He added, “I had asked the jury members, they have seen the picture so many times and they said no (it is not a copy). Not a single scene is similar in the film. It can be inspired by that (Cinema Paradiso), but it is not a copy.”

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Contrary to the popular consensus on a nod for RRR or The Kashmir Files, Pan Nalin’s Gujarati film Chhello Show (titled The Last Film Show in English) has been named India’s official choice for Best International Feature at the upcoming 95th Academy Awards.

“I could have never imagined such a day would come. Now, I can breathe again and believe in cinema that entertains, inspires and enlightens,” Nalin said on the honour for his film, which is set against the backdrop of cinemas in India that saw the transition from celluloid to digital.

However, this move by the Film Federation of India (FFI) has also seemingly upset a section of cinegoers rooting for films such as RRR and The Kashmir Files. The same was evident on social media as well, with #RRRForOscars trending within no time.

Reacting to the chatter on the FFI’s decision, director-actor T S Nagabharana, who served as the head of the committee of selection for the Oscars, revealed Chhello Show was picked “unanimously” by a 17-member jury. “We know everyone was expecting RRR. But, the idea was to have a film that represents the country in an Indian, unique way. Chhello Show transcends the narrative of the regular Indian reality in a broader sense, while tugging on emotional chords,” he says.

On the RRR snub, he adds, “Do people mean to say only marketing, entertainment value or collection figure are the criteria to make a mark at the Oscars? It is the story that matters, not the popularity.”

But, all is not lost for the S S Rajamouli-directorial, for the film’s US distributor is set to seek nomination in other categories. According to Variety, the film will be submitted for best picture, director, original screenplay, lead actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, original song, among other categories.

Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files was also seen as one of the top contenders. But the filmmaker is not sure about going the independent way like RRR.

“I wish the whole team of Chhello Show good luck for the Oscars 2023. I have nothing else to say. When it comes to applying independently, it is a decision the producers will take. Right now, I am doing another film and have moved on,” Agnihotri tells us.

In India’s Oscars history, three films have been nominated for Best International Feature, namely Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay! (1988) and Lagaan (2001). But, none have won.

According to trade expert Atul Mohan, RRR still holds a chance to shine bright at the awards, but he believes it is “too early to shrug off the chances of Chhello Show”.

Echoing similar sentiments, trade expert Taran Adarsh adds, “Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for some Oscar glory for India.”

Ahmedabad: Early in the movie Chhello Show, the wide-eyed protagonist Samay, a young boy in a small village in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region, discovers ‘fillam’ (film) and gets enamoured by the 35mm medium of sound and light playing at the speed of 24 frames a second. In more ways than one, it depicts how Pan Nalin, a US-based filmmaker with roots in Gujarat, discovered and got hooked to films for life some five decades ago.

It was a euphoric moment for Nalin and the entire team of Chhello Show (Last Film Show) when the movie was officially selected by Film Federation of India (FFI) to represent India at the 95th Academy Awards, or the Oscars, in 2023.

After the 2013 film The Good Road, this is the second Gujarati language movie to be nominated for the Oscars where it will compete in the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category. Nalin said Chhello Show as India’s official Oscars entry reflects the changing taste and universal values that worked in favour of the film that has no big stars or streamers behind it.

“The movie has been on the international film festival circuit for the past several months and has won a number of awards, including the Golden Spike in Spain. It’s incredible that we were chosen from among so many big releases this year,” said Nalin.

“It’s perhaps has to do with the universal power of stories. During the pandemic, Indians were exposed to many stories from countries like South Korea, Mexico, Spain… Similarly, the world is also exploring our stories. ”

Almost all the actors in the film Chhello Show are debutants.

In 1958, Mother India – India’s first official entry to the Oscars – was the closest the country came to winning an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Film category. The film, directed by Mehboob Khan, lost out by a single vote during the third poll to Federico Fellini’s Le notti di Cabiria (Nights Of Cabiria), in the category created the year before.

From 1957 to 2021, among all official entries from India only three films have received nominations – Mother India, Salaam Bombay! and Lagaan. No Indian entry ever won the prize, while no Indian official submissions have received nominations since Lagaan in 2002.

In 2019, during his India visit, then President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences John Bailey was asked this question multiple times. He replied, “I don’t mean to be rude, but why are Indian films not widely shown? Not just in Hollywood or the US, but worldwide. I know they are very popular in China, but are they popular in Korea or Japan? Are they popular in Southeast Asia? Are the French watching Indian films? Your PR organizations, your distributors, your government need to be asked why – ‘Why can’t Indian films be promoted across the world? The films that we are submitting, do they speak to other countries?’ I don’t know. But one thing you can do is to have an internal dialogue here, among yourselves.”

In 2010, Anurag Kashyap, who had been on various international film festival juries by that time, told TOI, “We need to make a film of international standards. We need a jury that is not chosen by the Film Federation of India (FFI) but by people who understand international cinema and are exposed to it... Most times, our films are just not good enough.’’

India’s Oscar entry is picked by an 11-member independent jury set up by the Film Federation of India. However their selection process is never disclosed. Suparn Sen, General Secretary, FFI says, “Rules state that the film should be Indian, second – it should reflect the culture of the country, and third – the language should be dominantly spoken in the country.”

However, official Indian submissions have generated controversy over the years. Ahead of the 2021 Oscars, The New York Times’ film critics listed Chaitanya Tamhane’s The Disciple in their Oscar picks lists. Film critic Manohla Dargis picked the Marathi film for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, while AO Scott selected Aditya Modak for Best Actor. But The Disciple was not India’s official submission, neither was Jai Bhim, which some critics were in favour of. The Tamil film Pebbles was eventually selected as India’s official entry in the category.

In recent months, the film that has been creating a buzz in the West is RRR and in a recent interview, Anurag Kashyap said, “They (the West) find it (RRR) better than any Marvel movie. They’ve really gone crazy for it, even the silliness of it. And they are so blown away not only by the action sequences, but also the dance sequences. The West sees RRR differently than how we see it, and they’ve loved it. If RRR becomes the India selection, 99% it might get nominated for the Academy Award. That is the impact that the film has had in the world of Hollywood. India might actually have a nomination in the final five, if RRR is the film that we pick. I don’t know what film anybody is going to pick.”

Of late, there’s been buzz around films such as RRR, The Kashmir Files and Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, as they stand a chance to represent India at the Oscars next year (95th Academy Awards). But, experts suggest that fans shouldn’t get overwhelmed with the hype yet, as the official selection process hasn’t even begun.

“The process of seeking entries will start at the beginning of September, with the Film Federation of India (FFI) sending invites to all the [film] associations in India. The jury will start viewing the films on September 16, and the official entry will be announced by the end of September. That film will be sent to the Oscars in October,” says Supran Sen, secretary general, FFI.

Breaking down the process of finding India’s official entry to the Oscars, Nitin N Datar, vice president, FFI, shares, “We don’t have a fixed selection committee. We add new members every year, who are all National Film Award winners. While we watch a lot of movies to decide the official entry, some producers can also send their entries directly to the Academy, if they meet the eligibility criteria. We take note of films from all across India and not just the popular ones.”

While the jury has been formed, the names of the members haven’t been revealed yet. “That’s because once the names are out, there is a lot of pressure from people, as they try to influence the jury members’ decision,” adds Datar

Trade experts are happy with the films that are creating the buzz. Taran Adarsh says, “These films are strong contenders, as they are unique and reflect real India.” Producer and trade analyst Girish Johar adds, “These films are apt because they represent Indian viewing consumption right now.”

Director Ketan Mehta, who has been on the jury in the past, decodes the criteria for picking the official entry: “The story and filmmaking should be high quality, and the story should have the ability to travel the world.”

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]."

On December 15, India's dream to bring home an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film Category was shattered when Visaranai, the official entry, failed to earn a spot in the Top Nine. The last time India was shining at the Academy Awards was in 2001 when Aamir Khan's Lagaan made it to the Top Five, losing out to Bosnia's No Man's Land. The quest for the elusive Oscar continues even 15 years later. Vetrimaaran's Tamil drama battled 84 foreign language entries from around the world. And like it has happened so far, the film travelled a few miles before making an exit from the competition.

WHERE ARE WE GOING WRONG?
Every year, the Film Federation Of India (FFI) appoints a jury to select an entry. From the movies sent in the last decade alone, only Harishchandrachi Factory and Rang De Basanti stood a realistic chance to make it to the Top Five.

Oscars are clearly not won by mere stories and performances. After getting the official nod from FFI, a movie goes through several stages of self-promotion to draw eyeballs and votes from the 6000 members of the AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). This requires a budget, which this year, was sanctioned by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

For executive producers of Visaranai, Aalif Surti and Guneet Monga, the experience of campaigning for the film was an eyeopener. Surti says, “Many Indian films could not run a campaign correctly for the lack of money and guidance. Government funding is a big help because we have to battle deep-pocketed studios. We have to place ads in influential publications in America and pick the best agents to promote the film, which is an expensive deal. In the case of our film, Dhanush, our producer, also pooled more than the film's budget to get us this far. We also need to select our entries in India a little earlier than we usually do because we lose out on getting a headstart in the Oscar race - be it in procuring the services of the top publicists or getting slots for screenings. By the time we reach their shores, the screens and agents are booked by other films. While India's reputation as a filmmaking nation has improved, it needs to now play its game correctly. Lobbying is an accepted practice there and we must play by their rules to make a mark. The atmosphere in the USA right now is like Chandni Chowk in the wedding season. They mean business and so should we.“

Amol Palekar, the actor-filmmaker who has been on both sides of the fence - as a selector as well as a filmmaker whose film Paheli was sent as an official entry, adds, “Oscars should be treated as one of the international platforms for our movies. Their game has to be played by their rules. I remember when Marathi film Shwaas was sent as an entry, the filmmaker's American expedition was funded by the aam junta. But the filmmaker ended up holding screenings for Marathi-speaking Americans who don't even have a vote to cast for the film to be selected in the next round. It was a loss of money and time, right? If you have to win a game, you have to adhere to the rules, be focused and unabashed about that. It's simple.“

Ketan Mehta, who headed the selectors' committee this year, believes that sending multiple entries could also be a way to cement India's position at the Oscars. “India is not a one-language nation. It's important that we try and send at least two entries across our 21 languages to represent our cinema,“ he says.

DIVIDED CHOICES
Each year, the selection process for the official entry is marred by controversies and blame games, which hasn't thankfully happened this year. Visaranai beat strong contenders like Neerja, Nil Battey Sannata, Udta Punjab and Sairat to become India's official entry. Point this out to Mehta, and he says, “Yes, we were amazed with the entries this year. Visaranai was a good choice. But every year, a set of jury members will not come up with an entry that will be accepted with similar ease.“ Last year, Marathi film Court's selection came under a cloud. Filmmaker Rahul Rawail reportedly walked out of the committee as he didn't like the way Palekar, the chief, functioned.

WHY AN OSCAR MATTERS TO INDIAN FILMMAKERS?
Filmmaker Shyam Benegal was the torchbearer of parallel films in India and made the kind of cinema that could have easily appealed to the western selectors. He says, “An Oscar is an asset only if you are seeking an international reach. Otherwise, an average Indian doesn't care about a film winning an Oscar. The foreign language category is helpful to films from Europe and South America because it widens and deepens their market.“

Anupam Kher, a veteran who has been to the foreign shores several times with his films being sent as official entries, differs. The actor insists that the reason the Oscar awards are so sought-after is that there is a system of selection, which doesn't happen here. “I'm not one of those who will say that the Oscars are not important. Yes, we shouldn't be obsessed with the Academy Awards and must not lose heart if we don't make the cut. I haven't seen the film that has been sent from India this year, but let's face it, we have also sent a lot of mediocre films in the past which affected our reputation in the West,“ he says.

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt believes that no filmmaker became great because he won an Oscar. Satyajit Ray, he says, never made films to appeal to an international audience but the Oscar committee was forced to recognise his work. “We have to decide who we are making our films for, a foreign jury or a nation of 2.1 billion people with myriad tastes. It is the consumer who decides how good your product is, and not an award from a foreign country. But if you want to rub shoulders with the foreign film market, it has to be on their terms without becoming them. Mother India qualified for the Oscars because it had a deep-rooted Indian story. It's an example to learn from. Years later, Danny Boyle used India as his canvas to fly at the Oscars. The writing is on the wall my friend. Read it!“ he sums up.