"Why do we need a certificate from the Oscars? Our films are amazing," Karthikeya 2 actor Nikhil Siddharthasaid reacting to RRR's Oscars entry snub.
Gujarati film Chhello Show, a coming-of-age drama about a young boy's love affair with cinema in a village in Saurashtra, is India's official entry for the 95th Academy Awards, the Film Federation of India (FFI) announced on Tuesday (September 20). Titled Last Film Show in English, the Pan Nalin directorial will release in theatres countrywide on October 14. According to FFI president TP Aggarwal, Chhello Show was unanimously chosen over films such as SS Rajamouli's RRR and Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files, which were frontrunners in the race for being India's official pick for Oscars nomination.
RRR, many were convinced would end up being India's official entry to the Oscars, courtesy of the widespread appreciation the film garnered from artists in the West, including some Hollywood biggies. However, when the Ram Charan and Jr Ntr film was snubbed, it left fans upset. Many took to Twitter to express their anger and demanded that RRR get its due since it is one of the few films in the last several decades that has brought global recognition to Indian cinema.
However, Karthikeya 2 actor, feels differently. He believes that RRR doesn't need validation from the West and opines that the biggest achievement for any film is the love it gets from the audience.
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In an exclusive conversation with IndiaToday.in, Nikhil Siddhartha said while sharing his thoughts on #RRRForOScars, "I am sorry, but I am of a different opinion. Everybody loves the Oscars, but the biggest achievement of the film is the love and appreciation they have received from people. That is the biggest award."
He further said that people have showered love on RRR and that itself is a win for the film. "So, why do we need the Oscars? When we have Filmfare and when we have our own awards, the National awards, I do not give that much importance to the Oscars, I am sorry. Why do we need a certificate from the Oscars? Our films are amazing. Indian films are rocking," Nikhil Siddhartha said.
He added that when he watched RRR in Spain, it was a houseful of Spanish people watching the film and coming back again, referring to how much they loved the film. "So, we don’t need any certificates from the Oscars," Nikhil asked.
Nikhil Siddhartha starter Karthikeya 2, which was released in August, emerged as a box office blockbuster surpassing the collection of big-budget Bollywood films - Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha and Akshay Kumar's Raksha Bandhan, which too were released in the same month.
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 "NIkhil Siddhartha-RRR/File photo")
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