Many filmmakers feel that jury member Dasgupta’s comments on why Sardar Udham was not good enough to be India’s official entry for Oscars are way off the mark

Each year India’s official entry to Oscars springs up new surprises — at times some regional gems make the cut. For, 2021 it is no different. One of the jury members, Indraadip Dasgupta, while justifying Tamil film Koozhanga over Sardar Udham as India’s Oscar entry, mentions, “In this era of globalisation, it is not fair to hold on to this hatred,” referring to Vicky Kaushal-starrer that showed the Jallianwala Bagh incident in detail. So what should be the criteria for selection? Experts share their opinions.

Fans disturbed

Vidya Balan-starrer Sherni; Chhello Show and Laila Aur Saath Geet were also in the race for India’s official entry to the Oscars, which is decided by The Film Federation of India each year. The 15-member jury was headed by filmmaker Shaji N Karun. More than Sardar Udham not making the cut, the fans were disturbed by the explanation given by one of the jury members—Indraadip Dasgupta.

What Indraadip Dasgupta has said is very subjective and I refuse to comment on that. But as far as the Oscar entry goes, I go by the jury’s decision and abide by it. Koozhangal, which got selected as the official entry for Oscars, is very deserving too. — SHOOJIT SIRCAR, Director

Writer and producer Amritpal Singh Bindra sees Sardar Udham as a very international film, “I think it would have been a very credible choice for Oscars, but I haven’t seen all the other films that were in the race. Vicky Kaushal has given a stupendous performance, one of the best in recent times.” Bindra sees Sardar Udham as a significant story, “It is a very important story about our country and culture. I don’t see any anti-British sentiment. Oscars are American awards and they were themselves a colony of the British, so have lots of stories that are anti-colonial and anti-British! Therefore, I see no logic in this; it’s actually ridiculous,” opines Bindra, whose Bandish Bandits recently won a lot of praise.

Pointless angle

Rajesh Tailang, who was a part of International Emmy- winning Delhi Crime, has been on a continuous shooting spree and is yet to see Sardar Udham, but he says, “The very best film should be our entry for Oscars and the subject should not matter, but we have to follow the jury’s decision.”

Filmmaker Jagmeet Samundri finds the British hatred angle pointless. “One cannot belie history. Jallianwala Bagh did happen.” He cites 12 Years A Slave, Schindler’s List and Braveheart as the films that were against a particular race, but still won Oscars. “12 Years A Slave is a biographical period drama that won three Oscars in 2014′, Schindler’s List is about the life of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist who saved more than a thousand Polish-Jewish refugees from the Holocaust during World War and won seven Academy Awards in 1994. While Braveheart, a story of a Scottish warrior who fights against King Edward I of England, got 10 Academy Award nominations, and won five, including Best Picture, Best Director for Gibson, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Makeup 1996,” says Samundri.

Deserving film

Meanwhile, Sardar Udham’s director Shoojit Sircar said on Indraadip Dasgupta’s comment, “What he has said is very subjective and I refuse to comment on that. But as far as the Oscar entry goes, I go by the jury’s decision and abide by it. And the film Koozhangal, which got selected as the official entry for Oscars, is very deserving too. I know people in the jury and do not doubt their judgment. They have to be sensitive and look at all aspects before deciding. “

Also as for the Jallianwala Bagh scenes being too long and graphic, the filmmaker adds, “I took the creative freedom to showcase it as I wanted. I believe the massacre was the fulcrum of the freedom movement and germinated a lot of revolutionaries because no one had ever thought Britishers would do that. In fact, I was quite adamant about keeping it that way.” — TNS