Rang De Basanti : India’s entry for Oscars
[More Updates included]
Just chanced upon this news flash at Rediff - Rang De Basanti is India’s official entry for the Oscar’s Best Foreign Film Category.
It’s Aamir’s second visit. The first was Lagaan.
Here’s who the main contenders for the top spot were :
Bhook (Marathi)
Amma Chepindi (Telugu)
Krrish (What the fuck???)
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (You’ve got to be kidding me!!!)
Yun Hota To Kya Hota (WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!!!)
Lage Raho Munnabhai (Good one, But not Oscar Material… But MBBS would have been a much viable option)
Omkara (Why did this one lose out?)
Corporate (Nah… ok movie not meant for Oscars)
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The list above shows either the panel that selectes movies for Oscars is very short sighted or does not know what cinema means. But on the other hand, there could be nothing wrong with the panel - just with our movie makers both the established studios and the independents… because according to Rediff
It is surprising to have only 9 films submitted. The FFI invites all producers to send in their films if the makers feel the end-result is Oscar-worthy, but this year has seen a deplorable lack of regional cinema.
ONLY 9 SUBMISSIONS??? ONLY 9 SUBMISSIONS IN A COUNTRY THAT MAKES THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF MOVIES???
Rediff also gives us the list of the panel members
The FFI assembles a 12-member-panel to watch the films and make a decision. The panel this year included veteran director Basu Chatterji, Kalpana Lajmi, N Chandra, music director Aadesh Srivastava, writer Ved Rahi and A S Ramarao, among others.
So it’s Rang De Basanti off the 9 movies that were submitted. Well if we go by the list of 9, then yes, it would be Omkara or RDB, as I don’t know much about Bhook (Marathi) and Amma Chepindi (Telugu).
Does anyone know why more movies weren’t submitted? Was there a boycott? Or movie makers have had bad experiences with the panel in the past?
Meanwhile Deepa Mehta’s Water is Canada’s official entry to the Oscars. If you remember, it’s a movie written by Anurag Kashyap for which he was simply credited with “translation” of the dialogues.
There are also rumors that Jahnu Barua will be sending his film, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara, directly to the Oscars.
Your thoughts? Any movie you would have loved to see on the list or selected for the Oscar entry?
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September 25th, 2006 at 11:31 am
WHY ONLY 9?
well heres what Barua has to say:
“It (the selection process) is very polluted and the FFI is not handling it properly. They do not publicise it properly and mostly use personal contacts,” Barua added.
Amma Chepindi is a very sensitive movie. Its based on a Mother-Son relationship. The Son has a very ugly birth mark on one whole side of his face, but, his mom always keeps boosting him saying he is the most handsome male in the world… untill the Son realises it from outside world. A new concept, good movie… not Oscar worthy( Ya as if Oscars were like Nobel Prizes.. which determine who is the best…Yawn)
Regional movies need to come out of closet.. its high time
September 25th, 2006 at 12:34 pm
Now Omkara had a bright chance but these dumbheads at FFI goofed up.RDB is brilliant in its own style,but not comparable to Omkara. Omkara will be the landmark that future film-makers will be studying in their courses. Anyways wish all the best to RDB team at the Oscars.
September 25th, 2006 at 10:06 pm
Omkara all the fucking way !!!
This is so fucked up (havent seen the marathi and telegu films and hence can’t comment) but of the hindi films, OMKARA SHOULD’VE BEEN FUCKING SENT FOR THE OSCARS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 25th, 2006 at 10:08 pm
AND BY THE WAY …. WHAT ARE POEPLE LIKE - Kalpana Lajmi, N Chandra, Aadesh Srivastava, Ved Rahi (kaun hai bhai ???) and Rao ( ????) doing on the panel ????????
September 25th, 2006 at 11:48 pm
Have written an article on the same.
http://passionforcinema.com/rdb-over-omkara-for-oscars/
September 26th, 2006 at 4:53 am
I was surprised about “Bhook”. No info on the net about the film.
Have to search for it
Punds
September 26th, 2006 at 5:40 am
Wat a gr8 decison. The Oscar jury who have watched movies like Ben Hur, Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Gone With the Wind and Lawrence of Arabia now have to watch an absolute humbug called RDB.
Don’t we have any other movie other than that by an actor who appears in cola ads and tries to reform India?
September 26th, 2006 at 10:09 pm
Amma Cheppindi ( Mother Says ) is a good attempt by a director who is just 4 movies old but all of them have been off beat and quality films.
Its a low-budget movie with the only notable star being Suhasini Mani Ratnam who plays a very understanding mother who guides her son in all his endevours…
Oscar material - nah! but a good watch…
September 26th, 2006 at 10:29 pm
only 9 becaue we havent made any more good movies this yr!
More than half in this list are shitty anyway :(
September 29th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
Omkara,Nuff said
October 6th, 2006 at 5:39 am
If its OMKARA vs RDB then it has to be OMKARA for various reasons. OMKARA has a wider appeal than RDB as its based on universal human emotions while RDB is based on situational things which may happen in a country and may not happen. Doubt, less faith, zealousy etc are the emotions which prevail in every society and anybody can associate with the Omkara. and if they are told that its Indian adaptation of Shakespere’s Drama then it will generate more curiosity. Performance wise also OMKARA is far better than RDB. Scene by Scene OMKARA is a gem. Technically, screenplay, acting, direction, background music, music, cinematography, dialogues, photography and editing , its at par with Sholay if not more. Its repeatability is more. Students of cinema can watch OMKARA again and again to learn a new thing every time they watch it because every time they will get more depth. Scenes are woven in such a way that you blink for a moment and miss a scene and when next time you concentrate on that scene then get to know why a particular thing is happening in the next scene.
RDB tries to cover very vast area in short time so I am not sure west audience will be associate with it. Who knows what MIG 21 etc are doing in India? how they affect the psyche of mass? Who knows Bhagat Singh etc outside of India? If it was Gandhi then surely RDB might have touched the larger audience. Unlike within the India Gandhi is a sure hit outside of India. Western audience cant understand what it means to be a right wing student activist ( Atul Kulkarni) in Indian context. Moreover how many of audience will be familiar with the AshfaqUlla Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil etc if we go bwith faith that they may know about Bhagat singh. And in today’s era when sponsored terrorism is the horror in west especially in USA, such films where youth are shown to act as self killing patriot will not be liked by several Americans. It’s a mistake to send such film.
It’s a marketing thing to win in OSCAR ( along with quality, competency and relevancy of the subject). Why Crash won last year because subject was relevant to American society.
It can be said that OMAKARA is an abstractive art while RDB is subjective for which it is must to understand the situations which are explained in the film. We know the Indian scenario and present defense scandals so it was easy for us to relate with the film but it can not be the case with western audience. More than half of the film is filled with the boyish masti of characters. It was a great fun to watch the RDB but its not an OSCAR material.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:53 am
Finally RK …
We do agree … ;)
January 7th, 2007 at 7:24 am
RDB is an accomplished piece of cinema. It is a true winner……