Not just the numbers, but Indian cinema is back on the global stage. This time, putting quantity aside, quality shines as several films with Indian links have been nominated for BAFTA.
The biggest name is All We Imagine as Light, which earned a nomination in the Best Film Not in the English Language category.
Although it disheartens fans that the film was ‘robbed,’ the cinematography is no less beautiful than a series of paintings.
On the other hand, there was one category where Indians shined: Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer.
Three films are nominated in this category. Dev Patel leads with Monkey Man. Sister Midnight, one of the less talked-about films in this list, also grabs a nomination.
Meanwhile, Santosh is making major waves as it’s the third film in this category and the fourth overall. Its major selling point is that it is England’s official submission for the Oscars, and it did make the cut.
Though the Indian link brings the ‘cool’ factor, the sad reality is that almost all these titles received no backing from India, as the country is losing out on talented minds who can craft ‘art’ films.
But setting that aside, these four titles will be backed by 142 crore Indians, which is a big deal. Win or lose, if these names change the perception of art films, that will be the greatest contribution they can make to Indian cinema.
There’s just one question that will bother the fans. Are there really ‘Indian’ cinema? That’s a discussion we’ll leave for another instance.