India misses its Big O moment!

It’s that time of the year, when yet another Indian entry to the Oscars in the foreign film category hasn’t made it to the final five. AT gets you behind-the-scenes.

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Another Indian entry to the Oscars in the foreign film category hasn’t made it to the final five. (TOI Photo)Ever wondered why India’s most loved, critically acclaimed and sometimes commercially viable films like Lagaan, Devdas, Rang De Basanti and Eklavya -The Royal Guard missed their Big O moment?
In a country where the current size of the domestic film industry is estimated to be Rs 23,000 crore (around $6 billion), which produces 800 films and earns close to $100 million forex, it’s a pity that we haven’t yet managed to bring the 80-year-old Oscar statuette home!
So, even as India misses its Oscar date once again, with Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Eklavya -The Royal Guard not making it to the final list of nominations in the Best Foreign Film category, we spoke to industry veterans to get some answers.
“We don’t make films good enough to even be nominated in the best foreign film category at the Oscars,” says filmmaker Sudhir Mishra who feels that in past 40 years, India has not been able to produce any film which can match the creative excellence of Life is beautiful. He adds, “Hindi films are mere copies of international films. Frankly, we don’t have the calibre and lack the environment to make good films. Oscars are awards given by private organisers who are not obliged to take our films.”

Agrees film producer Pritish Nandy, “We have a very strong commercial lobby here. Unfortunately, the entries sent are determined on the strength of the star cast and budget rather than excellence.”
Finally, how important is it for the Indian film industry to get that seal of approval from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (which is the body that gives out the Oscar awards)? “Winning an Oscar is as important as winning the cricket World Cup,” says filmmaker Bhavna Talwar whose film Dharm was touted in film circles as an Oscar favourite... She laments, “We are more involved in pampering people’s egos and are not sending the right entries.”

What should be done then to woo the West? “We have to be objective while selecting entries and need to value our films honestly,” feels Talwar. Filmmaker, Ravi Chopra feels that while Indian films have enough technical brilliance, it’s the content which needs to be looked at when it comes to the Oscars. Says Chopra, “Our films are more India-centric because we cannot afford to miss out on our audiences. But when these films are sent to the west, they fail to appeal to western sensibilities. Once we take of all these nitty-gritties while making a film, we will be in the race.”
And if a global seal of approval is what Indian filmmakers subconsciously crave for, then perhaps, it might be a great idea to package our films differently before serving it to a world-wide audience.

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