It’s official. India’s entry to the 89th Academy Awards to be held in February 2017 is the Tamil film Visaranai directed by Vetrimaran. The hard-hitting film about police brutality shocked audiences with its raw unvarnished portrayal of violence in police lock-up.
The selection of this true-life account as India’s official entry to the Oscars may confound those who believe ‘Bollywood’ is poorly represented in the Oscar race.
But eminent director Ketan Mehta who headed the jury to select the Oscar this year disagrees. “We are very happy that we chose Visaranai. It’s a raw and authentic depiction of the oppression and brutality that the poor are often subjected to in any unequal social structure. Though it is a story rooted in Tamil Nadu we believe it has a universal resonance. The theme of oppression is connectable with any culture in any part of the world.”
Ketan who is in the throes of preparing for his next feature film the historical Rani Laxmibai with Kangana Ranaut in the lead, says he has not seen such an excellent lineup of Oscar contenders in a very long time. “By the time we narrowed down the list to eight-nine films we were in a serious dilemma, as to which one to pick, because all of them were almost equally outstanding. We had a really tough time zeroing in on one film.Finally, though, there was unanimity over the selection of Visaranai.”
Last year, the Marathi film Court was nominated for the Oscars after being selected by a jury headed by Amol Palekar, but returned home empty handed. Explains Ketan, “We’ve to understand that selection of a film is only a part of the process towards winning the Oscar. Marketing the film in the US, pitching it to the Oscar jury in Los Angeles is very important.” Here is where Indian entries get thwarted and expelled from the Oscars race. “We are hopeful that the makers of Visaranai would be able to take the film to its logical conclusion,” says Ketan. Fingers crossed.
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