India’s Oscar Dream Ends Early

Another year and another Indian film sent for Oscars has crashed out at selecting nominations stage. Gully Boy which was sent to Oscar this year from India, has bowed out of the race.

The long wait for an Indian film to get at least into the final five of the ‘Best Foreign Films’ category continues. Gully Boy did not find a place in the top ten lists, itself. These films will be further scrutinised to come to the final list after all the members get to watch these movies once.

Gully Boy starring Ranveer Singh was about a struggling rapper from the slums of Mumbai. It ticked many boxes that are likely to appeal to the Oscar members like the poverty and poor side of India (a third world nation in their view), an underdog story of a struggler (minority) rising against the odds. But, the most crucial detail that Gully Boy looked like a copy of a Hollywood movie (8 Mile) was forgotten. The result, therefore, wasn’t that surprising.

Zoya Akhtar directed Gully Boy which also had Alia Bhatt and Siddhanth Chaturvedi in vital roles. The movie was a critical and commercial success when released earlier in the year for Valentine’s Day.