Oscars 2023: Every Indian film in contention to get nominated
The year 2022 was a positive year for Indian cinema. Films such as RRR, Kantara, and Gangubai Kathiawadi among many others, made headlines on the global front, particularly in the West. While Chhello Show is India's official entry, over half a dozen Indian films have made it through the Academy Awards's contention list of nominations in various categories. Take a look at these films.
'RRR'
SS Rajamouli's mega-budget film RRR, starring Ram Charan and Jr. NTR in the lead roles, has bagged a spot in the contention nomination list. Its peppy dance number Naatu Naatu has been nominated in the Music (Original Song) category. It has also bagged two nominations at Golden Globes, namely Best Non-English Film and Original Song for Naatu Naatu.
'Kantara'
Rishab Shetty's Kantara has bagged two nominations in the long list: Best Film and Best Actors. Kantara raked over Rs. 400 crore in terms of worldwide box office and is now competing with 301 films in the list. The voting for final nominations will begin on Wednesday and conclude on January 17. The final nominees will be announced on January 24.
'Gangubai Kathiawadi'
Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial film Gangubai Kathiawadi is also one of the Indian films that have been nominated in the massive list. Starring Alia Bhatt in the titular role, the film was the first Bollywood blockbuster hit of the year 2022. Gangubai Kathiawadi premiered at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival, and also reportedly received an eight-minute-long standing ovation.
'The Kashmir Files'
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri took to social media on Wednesday to share his happiness on The Kashmir Files also featuring in the Oscars 2023's long list of nominations. The film has got a total of three nominations but all in one category: Best Actors. Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, and Darshan Kumar have been nominated in the category, informed Agnihotri through a tweet.
'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect'
Actor R Madhavan's directorial venture Rocketry: The Nambi Effect has also been included in the list. Released in a total of six languages including Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2022. The film was shot in India, Canada, France, Georgia, and Serbia. It also had the cameo roles of Shah Rukh Khan and Suriya in different language versions.
'Vikrant Rona'
Kannada film Vikrant Rona, starring Sandalwood film industry's superstar, actor Kichcha Sudeep has also been shortlisted. Sudeep along with Nirup Bhandari and Neetha Ashok have been nominated in the Best Actors category. This is the second film of filmmaker Anup Bhandari to have featured in the list after RangiTaranga (2015). While Salman Khan presented the Hindi version, the film had Jacqueline Fernandez's dance number.
'Iravin Nizhal'
Another South Indian featured on the list is the Tamil movie Iravin Nizhal. It is an independent thriller directed, written, produced, and co-edited by R Parthiban. Music maestro AR Rahman composed the music for the film which has a total of six songs. The film was released in July 2022 and is reportedly the first non-linear single-shot film in India.
'Me Vasantrao'
Marathi film Me Vasantrao is also on the long list of Oscars 2023 contenders. A biopic based on the life of Indian classical musician Vasantrao Deshpande, it starred actor Rahul Deshpande in the lead role, who, in reality, is the grandson of the legendary musician. The film was helmed by Nipun Dharmadhikari. Another Marathi film on the nomination list is Tujhya Sathi Kahi Hi.
