The first Indian film to be submitted wasMehboobKhansMother Indiain 1957.
Since then, India has secured only two more nominees: 1989sSalaam Bombay!and 2001sLagaan.
Is India Shortlisting the Wrong Movies?
Image by Jefferson Chacon
What Is Costing India Its Long-Awaited Oscar?
And the Oscar goes to…
Jury Knows Best (Or Does It?)
Look at France’s decision to chooseEmilia Perezthis year despite mixed reviews.
We should send movies that have a real shot at winning instead of ones that the jury prefers."
There was general consensus among jury members that AWIAL was too raw in its execution and lacked polish.
However, they choseEmilia Perez.
It is debatable how Indian the film is, given its many international collaborators.
The selected films showcase the taste of the jury.
I did not challenge the jurys decision, even back then.
But hasn’t the Academy honoredThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingandMad Max?
Nonetheless,Chello Showmade the shortlist andRRRcampaigned for the general categories and won the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Marketing Is King.
Sometimes, one screening can cost $80k.
It is more like a political campaign.
However, Janus Films and Sideshow were distributingAll We Imagine as Lightin the U.S. By mid-November 2023, my film had not created much buzz.
Even Ukraine, amidst the war, had created Oscar-worthy buzz with20 Days in Mariupol.
I did not realize the urgency of hiring a publicist.
Masurkar too shares a similar concern.
“When I started marketing my film by the end of October, most publicists were already booked.
Nalin says he was humbled whenPriyanka Choprahosted a special screening ofChhello Show.
“Despite her gesture, I was confident that we would not get nominated.
It must have definitely been the publicist’s idea.
“It helps if the movie had penetrated various festivals early on.
You know what is more expensive than making a movie?
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