We applied for Oscars after people started campaigning for Kantara, says Rishab Shetty

Of 301 entries, nine films from India — including ‘RRR’, ‘Kantara’, and ‘Vikrant Rona’ — qualified for the 2023 Academy Awards.

ByShashiprasad S M

Published Jan 10, 2023 | 6:08 PM ⚊UpdatedJan 10, 2023 | 6:37 PM

Kantara Oscars

Posters of 'RRR', 'Kantara' and 'Vikrant Rona'. (Twitter)

Of the 301 feature films that have been deemed eligible for nominations at Oscars 2023, nine from India — including RRR, Kantara, and Vikrant Rona — made it to the first stage of the Academy Awards.

The other Indian films that made it to the chosen 301 are Gangubai Kathiawadi, The Kashmir Files, Me Vasantrao, Tujhya Sathi Kahi Hi, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, and Iravin Nizhal.

These apart, Pan Nalin’s Chhello Show (The Last Film Show) is India’s official Oscar entry.

While Kantara was a late entry in the first stage, it got nominated in two categories — Best Picture and Best Actor — its entry along with that of Vikrant Rona mark a great start to 2023 for the Kannada film industry Sandalwood.

Anup Bhandari’s Vikrant Rona, starring Kichcha Sudeepa, made it to the qualification round for Best Picture.

Kantara

Sharing his happiness, actor-writer-producer-director Rishab Shetty told South First that the team made Kantara for the Kannada audience, but it eventually went global.

“All thanks to the love and appreciation shown by the audience for the movie. Initially, we never thought of applying for the Oscars, but it was the audience who started the campaign on social media to take Kantara to the Oscars. We then applied.”

“Kantara was made for the Kannada audience but the way people (audience) embraced it, we made it a pan-India movie. I still remember, the entire team worked day in and day out to dub the movie in different languages.”

On Kantara being listed in the qualification stage, Rishabh Shetty said: “The people of Karnataka and India gave us the best possible award in the form of love and immense appreciation for the film.”

He added: “In fact, when the selection team who approves official entry for Oscar from India saw our movie, they were so happy. They expressed that we should show it to the team to apply for official entry before the process was over and done with.”

An elated Sapthami Gowda, one of the stars of Kantara, told South First that she is in “multiple stages of excitement”.

She said: “Right now, I’m just speechless. I cannot believe that my name is also on the Academy Awards list. It’s huge for me to have come to even see my name on the qualification list next to Kantara.”

The actor added: “We never imagined that we were making a film that will not only be the most successful Kannada movie but also reach the doorstep of the Academy Awards.”

Also read: Come up with plan to host an international film fest in Hyderabad: KTR

Vikrant Rona

It is the second time that an Anup Bhandari-directed film made the first cut.

After Rangitaranga, which succeeded in the first stage at Academy Awards, his latest release Vikrant Rona, featuring Kichcha Sudeepa, has also been selected for the qualification stage.

“Last time, it was someone else who had applied on behalf of Rangitaranga but this time, we did it ourselves for Vikrant Rona after the release. I wish the best for every film which made it to the initial 301 lists,” Anup Bhandari told South First.

Other films in the race

Even as SS Rajamouli’s RRR made it to the list as expected in the music (original song) category for “Naatu Naatu”, featuring Jr NTR and Ram Charan on the screen, R Madhavan’s Rocketry: The Nambi Effect made it to the initial stage along with Kantara, Vikrant Rona, and Iravin Nizhal.

SS Rajamouli’s RRR is a fictional account of real-life freedom fighters Komuram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju. It has already won some international accolades, and is tipped to make India proud at the Oscars.

Rocketry was Madhavan’s directorial debut. He starred in it as ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, who was initially framed in an espionage case before being acquitted.

Iravin Nizhal is a Tamil thriller with music by AR Rahman. It is a one-shot film with non-linear storytelling, and tells the tale of a film financier on the run.

The Kashmir Files, directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, is a fictionalised account of the Kashmir unrest of the 1990s that led to the exodus of most Hindu families from the region. It is nominated in the Best Film and Best Actor categories.

Shaunak Sen and Kartiki Gonsalves’ All That Breathes (documentary feature shortlist), and The Elephant Whisperers (documentary short category) have also made the initial cut at the Oscars.

(With inputs from PTI)

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