Despite having huge success overseas, RRR has been denied the honour of being India’s official entry to the Oscars this year. Pan Nalin’s Gujarati film ‘Chhello Show‘ or ‘The Last Film Show’ is chosen for the entry. There was speculation about ‘RRR’ and ‘The Kashmir Files’ being the most deserving films for being sent to the prestigious Academy Awards.
There has been dissatisfaction regarding the choice of films made by jury members who send these films to the Oscars for many years. The films tend to be inclined towards the ‘Art-film’ group and so-called commercial cinema is not considered worthy to compete with Hollywood biggies.
But earlier this year we saw S.S Rajamouli’s grand RRR roaring in the box offices abroad and many filmmakers of wide acclaim including James Gunn, Russo brothers, Edgar Wright and many more. RRR was considered as India’s last hope for the Oscars. But the movie is of course a mass entertainer with elements that will please a huge part of the audience but not necessarily the Critics and the Jury of the Oscars. It is a masala entertainer and it has its limits though its scale, grandeur and storytelling impressed people from all around the world. ‘The Kashmir Files’ directed by Vivek Agnihotri too is one of the most successful films produced this year.
Pan Nalin’s Gujarati film ‘The Last Film Show’ is undoubtedly a great film. It strongly captures the bond that we make with cinema by telling the story of a little boy. But these types of regional ‘Art films’ are what are being sent for the Oscars without any recognition. The films, however good, cannot compete with blockbuster successes around the world. Last year, Malayalam film ‘Koozhangal’ was selected as the official entry for Oscars and in 2020 another Malayalam movie ‘Jallikattu’ was sent for the Oscars. Both of the movies, despite being great ones, did not even create a little hype in the Oscars as there were big scale movies getting all the buzz.
This has happened a lot before too. People’s favourite ‘The Lunchbox’ by Ritesh Batra had been rejected as the Oscar entry while Gujarati film ‘The Good Road’ had been selected that year and of course without any success. ‘Sardar Udham’ was denied its Oscar entry because somehow the jury members thought the movie was too critical and hateful against the British and could hurt sentiments. It has happened time and again and it is a matter of pity that no Oscar entry by India has been good enough in the eyes of the Academy Awards Committee to actually win one.
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