'<I>Rang De Basanti</I>' to compete in eight categories at the Oscars : Bollywood News : ApunKaChoice.Com


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'Rang De Basanti' to compete in eight categories at the Oscars
02nd Oct 2006 09.19 IST
By Agencies

Rang De Basanti , Indian's official entry to the Oscars in the Foreign Film category, will also be competing in seven other mainline categories at the prestigious awards

This was disclosed by the producer of the film Ronnie Screwvala on Sunday.

Besides being India's official nomination in the category of Best Foreign Language Film, 'Rang De Basanti' will compete in seven other categories including Best Film, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Art Direction and Best Sound Design at the 79th Annual Academy Awards, Screwvala said.

"There is only one official entry per country in the coveted foreign language film category, besides that we have also applied in Seven Mainline Categories," Screwvala said.

He, however, said their focus would remain on getting an award in the Best Foreign Language, film Category, at the Oscars.

The news of 'Rang De Basanti' competing for eight categories comes close on the heels of the producers of Lage Raho Munnabhai deciding to send the film to the Oscars as an independent entry.

Simultaneously, Deepa Mehta 's Water was recently nominated by Canada as its official entry for the Best foreign film category.

Asked about recent reports of ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ also sending in an application to the Oscars, Screwvala said,'' firstly, in the Foreign Language Category, no other film can apply from India.

Therefore, ‘Rang De Basanti’ will not be competing with any other Indian film. Secondly, it is true that any film can apply in the Mainline Category but then you are up against all the Hollywood Majors, where we too have applications in 7 such categories".

When further queried whether he would have applied separately had ‘Rang De Basanti’ not been the official entry, his answer was "No.

''We believe there should only be one entry per country and for us now ‘Rang De Basanti’ does not only belong to UTV or Rakeysh Mehra but to every Indian".

Trade analysts feel that 'Rang De Basanti', which set off a cinematic revolution in the whole country, specially among the younger generation, with its brilliant juxtaposition of the ideals of freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and Rajguru with lives of the modern youth, stands a strong chance to bag the coveted Oscar in the Best Foreign Film category, which eluded Ashutosh Gowarikar 's Lagaan in 2002, which lost the race to Bosnia's 'No Man's Land' by a whisker.

Now, with the film competing for seven other categories as well, chances of India bringing home the Oscars have definitely brightened.

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