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Hoopla over no-hopers

We read reams about Indian films joining the Oscar line-up. And then, sure enough, a small bit in an insignificant corner of the paper when they missed the bus. Why such hype over films that clearly aren't up to it

Photo: Reuters

OFF-TARGET Often cinema and the media seem more obsessed with foreign awards than local acceptance

The world (or at least the TV-watching section) held its collective breath as the Oscar nominations were announced last week. Alas and alack, went the cry throughout our Cow Belt: Amol Palekar's little riddle — it had everyone from viewers to distributors scratching their heads in perplexity — found no place in the best foreign film category. As for Mahesh Dattani's Morning Raga, well it was a bit off key.

What is it about the Oscar that turns jholawalas into nail-chewing schoolboys? It is after all just another award. And our films — complete with jalebi colours, syrupy dialogues and overwrought drama — give Hollywood productions a run for their money even in phoren countries. Sholay didn't need an Academy Award stamp to certify it as ripping good yarn.

Mahesh Dattani is pretty blasé about missing the Oscar bus: "I agree with Mahesh Bhatt when he says, `Why do we always need a white man's endorsement?' It is unhealthy as it undermines our discerning ability. Having said that, one must also keep in mind that an Ang Lee or a Wong Kar Wai are revered as much as they are only because of the Hollywood endorsement."

Rachel Dwyer, Reader in Indian Studies and Cinema, School of Oriental and African Studies, who is an authority on Indian cinema, says: "All awards are silly but also important. The Oscars get everyone talking about films and are good for marketing. They're fun but should be taken seriously, only not too seriously!"

"I think the whole Oscar thing is unnecessarily hyped up," says Zainab working in an ad agency. "They are good to watch on telly and see all the red carpet gowns but that's about it. I don't know what this hue and cry is all about."

The selection process of sending films for the Oscar line-up itself has conspiracy theorists going into a huddle. We sent the super-stylised gangster movie Parinda one year and the retinal fatigue-inducing Devdas another. "There is an important lesson for Indians — we celebrate mediocrity while the rest of the world does not," says filmmaker Anup Kurian (Manasarovar). "The Producers Association (who recommends Indian films for Academy Awards) did not consider Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen or Adoor Gopalakrishnan films Oscar-worthy. Films likePather Panchali, Apur Sansar, Aparajito, Charulata, Bhuvan Shome or Mathilukal were ignored."The selection process is skewed," agrees Subhakar, adman and filmmaker. "What the selectors don't understand is that films don't have borders. They don't understand that countries don't matter; only films do."

When Lagaan made it to the top five, trivia junkies wondered if we would be third time lucky, after Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957) and Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay (1988). It was also the time for major fashion faux pas with Aamir and Co dressing up like antediluvian maharajas right down to pointy shiny shoes. (However, they were a picture of understatement compared to Shekhar Kapur who turned up in a sheet of gold when he got a nod for direction for Elizabeth.) If you look sartorial choices for the big night there was M. Night Shyamalan who wore a turtleneck instead of a tux when he was nominated for The Sixth Sense — the subtext was he was not going on stage to thank Mum, Dad and wife for being beautiful people.

So while Taiwan crosses its fingers for its favourite son Ang Lee and his Brokeback Mountain, we need a sense of scale. A win at the Oscars means nothing to man on the street. The first and the only law of filmmaking is the product should be paisa vasool. As Dattani comments: "What matters is the audience."

Manmohan Desai, who converted the lost-and-found formula into a cult, wouldn't have given a hoot if his Amar Akbar Anthony went to the Oscars. The film had to entertain the kids in the colony he played gully cricket with. That was his ultimate reward and that should be what all our filmmakers should look at rather than peddle Indian exotica.

MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER

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