‘Eklavya’ Nomination Upsets ‘Dharam’ Director
According to Smashits :
This is India and, of course, Bollywood too, known for holding as many opinions as the number of people around. No sooner Mega star Amitabh Bachchan starrer movie ‘Eklavya’ got nominated as India’s official entry for Oscar award for the best foreign movie category, than a new controversy arose. The head of the body that selects the film himself questions the jury’s choice! This is to recall that for the third time a film by Vidhu Vinod Chopra is going to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His short non-fiction film ‘An Encounter with Faces’ was one of the first Indian films to be nominated for an Oscar in 1980. In 1989, ‘Parinda’ was sent to the Oscars as India’s official entry. Pahlaj Nihalani, president of Association of Motion Pictures and TV Programs, which selects the entry, confirms: “It’s true that Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ‘Eklavya’ has been selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars “.
However, director Bhavna Talwar, who’s ‘Dharam’ was a strong contender, is very much upset. Hurt and angry Talwar says that the chairperson of the Oscars jury, Vinod Pandey, had called up ‘Dharam’s producer to say that ‘Dharam’ was the film that deserved to go ( to Oscars). Pandey, according to Talwar, regrets that he called for an open ballot among the jury. Talwar claims that the rules call for a secret ballot and wonders why Pandey hasn’t taken a firm stand to select ‘Dharm’. Another jury member Sudhir Mishra contends that there was an overall approval of ‘Eklavya’ being selected. He says, “I feel ‘Eklavya’ stands a good chance of making it to the top five nominations for the best foreign-language film. And I say this in all honesty. Technically, Eklavya is an impeccable film. And it’s a very Indian work.”
Talwar challenges Sudhir Mishra and dares him enter ‘Eklavya’ in the technical sections in the Oscars, if he is so proud of ‘Eklavya’s technical excellence. But, Mishra advises Talwar not to question the jury’s decision on which film goes to the Oscars, and says, “There was no politicization of the awards then, there’s no politicization in the selection of ‘Eklavya’ now.” He continues, “That way I’m really proud of the industry. It has never tried to pressurize or persuade me for any jury decision”.
“Eklavya” is about a royal guard, played by Bollywood superstar Bachchan, who knows the well-guarded secrets of a princely family and swears loyalty like his forefathers over nine generations. Directed by well-known filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, it also stars Saif Ali Khan as a prince who uncovers the truth about his past while returning home for his mother’s funeral. The movie received good reviews from critics in India, but failed at the box office. ‘Dharm’ , on the other hand, teaches, but does not preach. It’s a low-budget film with no big star cast. Pankaj Kapur is enough to portray what millions of Indians feel, in the wake of the communal riots that ripped the country. If Black Friday dared to show the truth, ‘Dharm’ exposes the truth about religion. It’s about humanity!
