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How was Devdas selected?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali's mega opus pipped other Indian movies to represent India at the Oscars
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Deepa Gumaste
Devdas is India's official entry to the Oscars and its maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is bursting with joy.
The Rs 500 million extravaganza adapted from Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel about a frustrated lover's masochistic journey into despair, alcoholism and death has pipped six others --- Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, The Legend Of Bhagat Singh, Agni Varsha, Kannathil Mutthamittal, Manda Meyer Upakhyan and Saanjhbatir Roopkathara --- to the post.
Before the euphoria over this selection ensues, let us try to understand how Devdas got picked as the official Indian entry for the 75th Annual Academy Awards.
First, it must be understood that while it is dubbed an 'official' representative of Indian cinema, the Government of India and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has nothing to do with this selection.
The task of choosing the Indian entry is entrusted to the Film Federation of India (FFI), a body that represents various film associations and accepts nominations from different regional bodies for the purpose of choosing the one film that will go to the Oscars. This means that the selection is made from among the films that are sent to the FFI. This year apparently, out of the 1,000-odd films made in the country, only seven were sent to the FFI and Devdas got selected from among these.
According to Suparn Sen, secretary, FFI, "We have no control over the number of films that come to us. One year, we got just one film. So it became India's official entry by default."
Which basically means that if the best films made in the country are not sent by the respective regional bodies to the FFI, they stand no chance of being selected for the Oscars.
The jury, according to Sen, comprises prominent film personalities. When asked for a list of this year's jury, he refused to divulge the names of these honourable men and women.
Meanwhile, Shakti Samanta, who headed the 16-member jury this year, was matter-of-fact, "We watched all the seven films after which there was a vote. Devdas polled the highest number of five votes and hence got selected."
It is interesting to note that not a single film sent to the Oscars in the last 15 years has won a Best Feature Film or Best Director Award at the National Award level. Most of them have not even bagged Best Film Awards in the popular awards given away in various regional languages.
Yet they were chosen as India's official entry to the Oscar Awards.
Sample this: in 1991, Satyajit Ray's Agantuk was chosen as Best Film at the National Awards, while Yash Chopra's Lamhe bagged the Best Feature Film Award at the Filmfare Awards. That year, the official entry to the Oscars was Randhir Kapoor's Henna.
In 1994, Rituparno Ghosh's Unnishe April won the Best Film Award at the National Awards, while Sooraj Barjatya's Hum Aapke Hain Koun...! was given the Best Feature Film award by Filmfare.
The official Indian entry to the Oscars was Ismail Merchant's Muhafiz.
In 1999, Shaji N Karun's Vaanaprastham was the Best Feature Film at the National Awards, while Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was adjudged Best Film at the Filmfare Awards. But it was Deepa Mehta's 1947 -- Earth that went to the Oscars.
Last year's entry Lagaan was the first film in the last 15 years that actually swept the popular awards and won several trophies at the National Awards as well. That was an exception, not the rule.
Before long, Bhansali and co will park themselves in Los Angeles to try their hand at Hollywood-style lobbying to promote Devdas. In a recent interview, the director of Devdas said that his film is 'truly representative of Indian cinema'.
Whether it is the best representative of the Indian cinema of 2002, is a question that no one seems to want to ask or answer.
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