Rang De Oscar?
NOTE: This article was written in October 2006, and despite the BAFTA nod for RDB, I stand by it- the British do have a soft spot for Indian cinema anyway, and RDB stands out like a sore thumb among the other nominees. Furthermore, news is just out that RDB is outta the Oscar race anyway.
Last year, amid much hullabaloo, Amol Palekar’s desert ditty Paheli was sent for the Oscar as India’s official entry in the foreign film category over much the feted melodrama Black. The reactions were sharp, caustic, critical. How Paheli got selected was- to most people- the riddle and mystery of the year, pun unintended.
And this year, our very wise and honourable jury (including Aadesh Srivastava and now -extinguished chingaari Ms Kalpana Lajmi) has chosen Rakeysh Mehra’s cult hit Rang De Basanti. Brilliant.
It’s not that RDB isn’t a good film. That isn’t even the point here. Point is, if RDB manages to clinch an Oscar- or even a nomination- I’ll happily claim to be a certified idiot and a first-rate fool. This film simply doesn’t stand a chance.
Let’s look back again at the Black v/s Paheli debate last year. Though saying which film was better is a matter of opinion, taste and much argument, I am most certain of one thing- of the two, Paheli was definitely a better choice, if not the best of all.
What I’m trying to put across is that the best film may not necessarily be the best bet at the Oscars. Would the members of the Academy be interested in a melodramatic film, allegedly inspired by The Miracle Worker in which an alcoholic teacher keeps screaming at an obviously deaf and blind child, beseeching her through immensely long winded lectures to ’C-O-M-E INTO THE L-I-G-H-T!’ ?
Or would they maybe like a piece of propoganda on how the lazy, materialism obsessed ’vela’ Indian youths should transform into modern day Bhagat Singhs and Chandrashekhar Azads (who is that, they say) and shake the foundation of Indian politics by casually shooting a Cabinet minister during the day, and then even more nonchalantly announcing their crime on radio- galvanizing the nation into action?
Wait, wait- don’t get me wrong- I liked both Black and RDB very much. What we must realize is that both of these, while powerful films, are also characteristically fantastical, melodramatic and loud pieces of work which only appeal to mostly Indian audiences. And cannot even hope to compete with other far superior international films.
Which is why I think that sending Omkara- which in my opinion, is notches higher than any other film this year in any case- would have been a much more sensible move. Not that I say that it would win the Oscar- but it would atleast be an intelligent, thoughtful choice.
The subject matter is universal. The performances are superb. The imagery is evocative and striking. And the film is a unique, subtly multilayered and brilliant piece of work. Something that can hold its own in the international arena- merging effortlessly with the rest, yet being distinct and Indian at the same time.
Yet somehow what really saddens me is the ironic fact that Deepa Mehta’s Water- a hugely acclaimed and successful film in the US and Canada goes as Canada’s entry to the Oscars. It is indeed a shameful pity for us that Water could not be made or even be released in India.
Of course, then there are those who proudly proclaim that we should stop hankering for Oscars and be happy with our own awards. After all, we don’t need an Oscar to validate our film industry, do we? (Ahem, as if the Academy is actually waiting to hand it over to us.)
I do not think we are hankering for an Oscar. It is perfectly fine to compete in the international arena and just because our media makes a huge fuss about it does not mean that we are literally dying to win one.
And as for our own filmy film awards- Filmfar(c)e, IIFA, Sansui, Star Screen (read- Star Scream), and even the National Awards- what can I say except…er, umm, ugh.
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THEY SHOULD’VE SENT OMKARA AND NOT RDB !!!!
RDB yeah is ‘generation awakens’ type of film … but omkara is a cult classic !!!
http://passionforcinema.com/rdb-over-omkara-for-oscars/
salaam vale kum bakshi saab:
magar sir OMKARA mein bhi galtiyaan hai, it is evident.
well I wud say send KHOSLA KA GHOSLA for the oscars…………..
now this movie may not be like cult RDB or classy OMKARA but after a long time i had feelings watching a movie……
as far as water is concerned: i didnt like the movie at all, actors ne ch** diya movie ko…..
magar yaar time is ripe to decide which is goin to go for oscars this year….
we already hav had GURU, Naseer sir ki PARZANIA bhi aane waali hai, Living legend Anurag kashyap is goin to compete himself in black friday and NO Smoking, another movie i m curious abt
HONEYMOON TRAVELS PVT LTD……
KAY KAY MEMON AND BOMAN IRANI……..AREY RUK JAA RE BANDEH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
= Guys, Anurag’s written “Water” has made it… so it still is all good
RDB is out of the race now, but we have Water which in my opinion was a great movie.
Salaam vale kum, Kaafir! If there was one movie that really touched a chord with me and that I wholeheartedly enjoyed last year it would definitely be KKG! Still, Oscar waalon ke palle nahin padti! And Kay Kay rocks in HTP Ltd! Ditto 4 Boman.
It would be so comical now if Water wins the Oscar…Our hypocritical ahem population will lap it up and say..”wow” this is an awesome “Indian” movie, and not stop bragging about it, when in the first place..the poor thing was not even allowed to be made…=))
i just crawled out of the hole i’ve been living in and saw the trailers of HTP ltd.. woww.. to see kay kay do a naach-gaana act has definitely piqued my interest, to say the least
really looking forward to this one!
= OM, it’s gonna be tough for Water to win specially with Volver and Pan’s Labrynth
Oz agree.. But, volver hasnt been as critically acclaimed as Almodovar’s other movies…so, maybe that might act against volver..meaning juries might think…”ahh volver is good but not the best from Almodovar..we have seen better from him”…Cant say about the other movie..havent seen!!!
well…oscar awards jury are highly unpredictable… the fact that they have chossen ‘water’ over RDB says it all…that there are bunch of people who needs some serious tutions on judging a good film. People who have seen ‘water’ would surely agree with me, as it is one of the most hyped film of this year with nothing good about it. the film dosent move you at all nor it has any lasting impression….except for the little girl’s matured performance(that alone dosent qualify any film for oscar)….as against, RDB rocks in almost every department. Well, if an indian film like lagaan which had everything going for itfor oscars, could not convince those goras then this was like much expected out of them. lastly i still feel an indian film winning oscar is still an undigestable fact for the goras!!!
imo, Omkara neither would have gone any further. in fact, i believe vishal’s “The Blue Umbrella” would have been a much better choice. It at least would have reached the final hurdle if not win it.
HG: I heard that ‘Blue Umbrella’ is a terrible terrible film. I got this review from quite a sensible cinema lover who saw it at a preview screening. He said that Maqbool and Omkara are freaking masterpieces compared to this one.
really?!
i only have seen the promo of Blue Umberella and sort of feel that it would have done a bit better than both RDB and Omkara.
but hey.. we will never know.
i reckon, i would like the movie.. knowing my taste.
My reaction was the same as yours man..:o
hey anurag….. now that yr black is gonna get released….wat about yr debut film paanch…just wondering was it that bad that it dint see the light of the day or it will take (paanch)five years to come out in open…????
@Chaitanya, kai boltos yaar ? The promo looks good man. And there is one dialogue to die for….on air these days…by Pankaj Kapoor…kuch hota hai kya…chatri aur khatri ka to janam janam ka rishta hai. Its so funny. I just hope that the “sensible cinema lover” slept during the screening.
phoenixnu, i agree with ya regarding Pankaj Kapoor, even the lines before that were funny.
Mee khara boltoy phoenix bhau… Even I wish that he was asleep! And yes, I love those lines too! ‘Aur waise bhi mere dost ke bolne se kuch hota hai kya?’
@ Jahan - “What I
Thanks t! That was actually the main point of my article, and not Omkara v/s RDB!
Sometimes subject matters a lot. as we have seen in case of “Crush”, that might not have been best film from cinema point of view but it won because voters and judges could identified with the subject. Subject was contemporary and important for the whole society.
Its not released properly and I would not comment on quality of the film but in my opinion ” Black Friday” or such films may be strong candidate there at oscar because terrorism is an area which americans understand very well.
Water does not hold water as far as quality to win in oscar concerns. subject is century old and people in western world ask, is it still prevailing in India? and this one factor that this time, majority of judjes have missionary approach then this film may have chance otherwise quality wise it never can win even national award in India. It may appeal to some when they see glamorous John Abraham in off beat role but this factor does not raise the over all quality of the film. Deepa Mehta’s films lack somewhere and they are never truely honest to the subjects she picks up. She covers this lacking by casting big stars in her film and by selecting something controversial. She hangs between documentary and film and switches easily in to two forms. Chokher Bali is far better a film than Water if cinematic value is concerned. Rituparno’s films have continuity and they look like films. Moreover Deepa lacks in defining the climax, be it Fire, earth or water. Perhaps now she is aiming sky or air, or she has made it?
Dear Readers,
WATER
Dear Readers,
I am doing my level best to stop the slection of this movie as finalist.
Hope you as readers understand the situation and comment on the facts presented.
I had already mailed this story to all well organisation. I will start doing my best to make the message to reach to the Oscars jury as well.
Hope, I am correct in my way, do you ahve any comments please post them here, I will rectify my mistakes if any.
thank you.