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​The Oscar fights never go out of fashion in India. We have not made our mark there yet in spite of many Indian connections with movies like Life of Pi and <keyword id="32892" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Slumdog-Millionaire">Slumdog Millionaire</keyword>. But when it comes to selecting India’s official entry for the Foreign Language Film category at the <keyword id="9344" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Academy-Awards">Academy Awards</keyword>, the heat is full on. This time, there were as many as 22 contenders and some entries like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, English Vinglish, Celluloid, Shabdo, Ship of Theseus and <keyword id="6354603" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Kamal-Haasan">Kamal Haasan</keyword>’s Vishwaroopam created a lot of buzz. But the final battle royal seemed to have boiled down to just two – Mumbaikar <keyword id="1539946" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ritesh-Batra">Ritesh Batra</keyword>’s <keyword id="1678680" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="The-Lunchbox">The Lunchbox</keyword> and Goa-born <keyword id="1602536" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gyan-Correa">Gyan Correa</keyword>’s <keyword id="1602537" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="The-Good-Road">The Good Road</keyword>. However, The Lunchbox lost to The Good Road, which earlier bagged the national award for the best Gujarati feature film. Correa’s flick was picked by a 19-member jury, appointed by the <keyword id="291689" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Film-Federation-of-India">Film Federation of India</keyword> (FFI). 
 
What they tweeted 
A Press release said the decision had been unanimous, but congratulatory and disgruntled tweets followed. Here’s a look at some of the significant ones. 
 
Gujarat chief minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>: Delighted to know that Gujarati film The Good Road has been chosen to represent India at Oscars. My best wishes. 
 
<keyword id="7929" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anurag-Kashyap">Anurag Kashyap</keyword> (the film-maker co-produced The Lunchbox with <keyword id="197931" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Guneet-Monga">Guneet Monga</keyword>): Feeling very, very disappointed, can’t comment on the film I have not seen, but it better make it to final five… I don’t know who the federation is. But it goes to show, why we completely lack the understanding to make films that can travel across borders… I hope and pray I am wrong and it actually is a film that knocks the socks off everyone… We should then make a clean policy, you want to send the best film, then send the national award winner. Or send the one most likely to win... Anyway, disappointment and anger aside… let’s go back to make cinema… 
 
<keyword id="3778" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Karan-Johar">Karan Johar</keyword> (The director-producer turned presenter for The Lunchbox): Really shocked and disappointed… #LUNCHBOX had every factor working in its favour... we may have just lost our golden chance… SAD!!! 
 
Ritesh Batra (Director, The Lunchbox): Congrats to The Good Road. Hope it makes it all the way, else it will be a lost chance by FFI-appointed jury that lacks vision. Hope I am wrong… 
 
The Good Road and The Lunchbox: Head-to-head 
Some industry experts are not too enthusiastic and feel that The Lunchbox would have been a better Oscar choice for several reasons. So here is a head-to-head for our readers, along with some lesser-known facts. 
 
Auteur cinema is gaining prominence. Written by Correa himself, The Good Road is a documentary-style collage of stories woven around the highway where the protagonists lose their way, struggle on their personal quests and evolve in a way that touches the heart. The Lunchbox, on the other hand, brings to life the ever-present Mumbai dabbawalas (tiffin carriers) and a bitter-sweet story of bonding that starts with a misplaced lunchbox (according to a Harvard University study, the delivery system is so excellent that just one in a million lunch boxes will go to a wrong address). Each film reflects its director’s vision instead treading the beaten path. 
 
Both Correa and Batra did it hands-on. It was real-life research for both the directors. Correa got into a truck and went on a journey, getting to the core of things before he created his story. Batra worked as a <keyword id="415857" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dabbawala">dabbawala</keyword> for a week to get the hang of it. 
 
But they come from different industries. That’s right. Batra studied Economics and worked as a consultant for Deloitte. He left the job to join the Graduate Film Program at New York University, but dropped out after a year and a half due to fund crunch. Correa is from the advertising space but decided to have a go at film-making. 
 
In spite of debacle, The Lunchbox gets a bite of the global pie. According to media reports, it has already been sold to 30 different territories globally and could be the first Indian film with 3 foreign producers – ASAP Films of France, Rohfilm of Germany and Cinemosaic of America, along with <keyword id="66984" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="NFDC">NFDC</keyword>, Sikhya <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment">Entertainment</keyword>, Dharma Productions and DAR Films from India. It can also be the first Indian movie to be released across 100 screens in Germany. Incidentally, the film was made on a shoestring budget of $1.5 million. On the other hand, NFDC produced The Good Road, but it doesn’t have an <keyword id="1878880" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="American-distributor">American distributor</keyword> yet. 
 
But what about Oscar compatibility? The Lunchbox might have got a favourable push at the Oscars, had it been chosen. For one, <keyword id="16207" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Irrfan-Khan">Irrfan Khan</keyword> is a familiar name (his roles in The Warrior, Mighty Heart, Slumdog Millionaire and The Amazing Spider-man certainly helped) and the movie has already received some rev reviews at Cannes, Telluride, Toronto and India. Moreover, <keyword id="6411012" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sony-Pictures">Sony Pictures</keyword> Classics will be distributing the film in the US and that could have been another plus. The Good Road has one Oscar connection, though. Its sound designer Resul Pookutty has already won an Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire in 2009. 
 
Bottom line: Till date, only three <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> movies made it to the nomination stage of the Oscar. These include Mehboob Khan’s Mother India (1957), <keyword id="7999" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mira-Nair">Mira Nair</keyword>’s Salaam Bombay (1988) and <keyword id="17233" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ashutosh-Gowariker">Ashutosh Gowariker</keyword>’s Lagaan (2001). The Good Road belongs to the art house pack, but going by the poor track record of other ‘arty’ films (Salim Ahamed’s Abu, Son of Adam in 2011, <keyword id="82569" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Anusha-Rizvi">Anusha Rizvi</keyword>’s Peepli Live in 2010 and <keyword id="33044" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kalpana-Lajmi">Kalpana Lajmi</keyword>’s Rudaali in 1993), will Gollywood’s (a concoction of Gujarat and Bollywood) tryst with Oscar produce something more fruitful this time? Also, will it be possible for the Lunchbox team to push the movie at the Oscars even without the government’s backing? Let us wait and watch how ‘independent’ our independent cinema is in reality. 
 
With additional input from Agencies 
Image courtesy: Indiatimes

‘Good Road’ Tops India’s Oscar Race; Will ‘Lunchbox’ Get The Global Pie?

<ul><li>Millions of Indians are confined to their homes, here are the <keyword id="9028497" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="movies-on-amazon-prime">movies on Amazon Prime</keyword> that you can watch during this lockdown. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/">Visit businesinsider.in for more stories.</a> </li></ul>Remember all the movies and shows you missed because of an urgent meeting work? You can now watch those across online streaming platforms at leisure. Millions of Indians are now confined to their homes, here are the movies on <keyword id="758541" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Prime">Amazon Prime</keyword> that you can watch during this lockdown — which might also get extended. Parasite <div type="Youtube" id="5xH0HfJHsaY" title="Parasite - Official Trailer (2019) Bong Joon Ho Film" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5xH0HfJHsaY/mqdefault.jpg"></div> IMDb rating: 8.6/10 Director: Bong Joon-ho Cast: Song Kang Ho, Lee Sun Kyun, Cho Yee Jeong Parasite is an Owinning comedy narrating the story of greed and class discrimination. Ki-woo, the eldest son of a family with four unemployed adults gets along with the ultra-rich Park family for a tutoring job. That is when they scheme up to be employed by the wealthy family. Critics review: “In Bong Joon-ho’s flawless tragicomedy, a poor yet united family bluff their way into the lives of a wealthy Seoul household,” said Mark Kermode, The Guardian. Photograph <div type="Youtube" id="LwOGIlpPqek" title="Photograph - Official Trailer (U.S.) | Amazon Studios" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LwOGIlpPqek/mqdefault.jpg"></div> IMDb rating: 6.8/10 Director: Ritesh Batra Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jafar A struggling photographer on the streets of Mumbai is pressured by the family to get married — and he convinces a stranger to pose as his fiancee for a family visit. However, over time, they develop a connection that opposes the worldview of relationships. Critics: “A man and woman pretend to be a couple because of cultural pressure, and wind up falling for each other. It’s familiar, but compelling nonetheless,” said Aisha Harris, The New York Times. One Child Nation <div type="Youtube" id="gMcJVoLwyD0" title="One Child Nation - Official Trailer | Amazon Studios" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gMcJVoLwyD0/mqdefault.jpg"></div> IMDb rating: 7.5/10 Director: Nanfu Wang, Lynn Zhang Cast: Brian Stuy, Jiaoming Pang, Longlan Stuy, Peng Wang One Child Nation is an Amazon original documentary that narrates the consequences of China’s single child policy. A filmmaker becomes a mother and unfolds the stories of those who lived through it — generations of parents and children trapped in the social experiment. Critics review: “Before such adoptions became common, the movie reveals, infant girls were often abandoned, or simply killed,” said Mark Jenkins, Washington Post. 102 Not Out <div type="Youtube" id="qrks9Zu0f1w" title="102 Not Out | Official Trailer | Amitabh Bachchan | Rishi Kapoor | Umesh Shukla | In Cinemas May 4th" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qrks9Zu0f1w/mqdefault.jpg"></div> IMDb rating: 7.4/10 Director: Umesh Shukla Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Jimit Trivedi 102 Not Out is an ageless comedy starring the two Bollywood icons — Rishi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan as father and son. Dattatraya Vakhariya is a 102-year-old man who lives with his 75-year-old son, Babulal. Dattatraya lives like a free bird youngster and has a secret mission to change his son’s attitude towards life. Critics: “102 Not Out is a sweet watch and it is Amitabh Bachchan-Rishi Kapoors partnership that warms your heart. But the film remains fairly one dimensional and turns preachy towards the end,” said Kriti Tulsiani, News 18. Good Newwz <div type="Youtube" id="r9VJpqoAr84" title="Good Newwz - Official Trailer | Akshay, Kareena, Diljit, Kiara | Raj Mehta | In cinemas 27th Dec" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/r9VJpqoAr84/mqdefault.jpg"></div> IMDb rating: 7.1/10 Director: Raj Mehta Cast: Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Diljit Dosanjh, Kiara Advani Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh, Kiara Advani are two Batras that opt for in-vitro fertilization. They are eagerly waiting for their babies when the confusion creeps in. The sperm of both the couples get mixed in the laboratory. Critics: “The filmmaker's breezy treatment of a subject like in vitro fertilization makes the flick highly palatable to a wide section of audience,” says Madhuri V, Filmbeat. Mardaani 2 <div type="Youtube" id="dKeRIOA28Jk" title="Mardaani 2 | Official Trailer | Rani Mukerji" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dKeRIOA28Jk/mqdefault.jpg"></div> IMDb rating: 7.4/10 Director: Gopi Puthran Cast: Rani Mukherjee, Vishal Jethwa, Sumit Nijhawan Sunny, a 21-year old rapist and murderer is in town on a murder contract by a politician. However, SP Shivani Roy vows to catch him and bring justice to the young girls he murdered after the assault. Critics: “It’s the conviction in the performances and a gripping narrative that ensure there’s never a dull moment in Mardaani 2,” said Ronak Kotecha, Times of India.

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‘Good Road’ Tops India’s Oscar Race; Will ‘Lunchbox’ Get The Global Pie?

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