It's been a mixed bag of response for Rajkummar Rao's 'Newton' being selected as India's official entry to the Oscars. While some feel Aamir Khan's Dangal or SS Rajamouli's magnum opus Baahubali would have been a better choice, many have also compared it to being allegedly inspired from Iranian film, Secret Ballot.
Director Amit Masurkar defended his film and said, “The film has travelled to all international film festivals and has been awarded, if it were a copy do you think this would have happened? All these allegations have begun when it landed in India. I don’t even know about the film or the story of Secret Ballot.” I have just watched a little bit of it after people starting talking about the similarities in the two films.” But Anurag Kashyap went a step ahead and after mocking at the comparisons on Twitter, decided to send a copy of Newton to Secret Ballot producer, Marco Muller to confirm that Newton is no rip off.
Gangs of Wasseypur director wrote on Twitter, "Newton is as much a copy of Secret Ballot as The Avengers is of Watan Ke Rakhwale."
In a long Facebook post, Anurag Kashyap wrote, "Here is what the producer of "Secret Ballot " said to me after watching Newton. I requested the link of Newton from its director and send it to Marco Muller , the producer. And he wrote back "A pretty decent film, definitely no rip off from our Secret Ballot (even if the general concept is the same )" and then I asked him if I can share his response on Social Media ? He replied ,"please feel free as you see fit, there is not even a hint of plagiarisation."
Wait, it doesn't end here. Anurag Kashyap even shared a snippet of an interview with Secret Ballot director Babak Payami where he confirmed that there are only thematic similarities between the two films. Babak is quoted saying, "I do not believe this (thematic similarities) would limit other filmmakers from rendering the same themes in their own voice.I am therefore not contemplating anything but my best wishes for director Amit Masurkar."
After being granted Rs 1 crore funding by the Government, actor Rajkummar Rao is planning to take time off to be in the US for the very serious process of lobbying that preludes the Oscar nominations in the US. wHILE Anurag Kashyap is lending his unconditional support to this critically acclaimed political satire ever since the news of it being India's official entry to the Oscars was out.
'Newton' will compete with Angelina Jolie's 'First They Killed My Father' from Cambodia, Robin Campillo’s 'BPM: Beats Per Minute' from France, among other contenders to make it to final six.
The nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on January 23rd 2018 and the Oscars will be handed on March 4, 2018.
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 "Anurag Kashyap bats for Rajkummar Rao's film 'Newton'")
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