Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has criticised the country’s selection process for the Academy Awards, describing this year’s decision as “absolutely wrong.”
Kashyap, known for films exploring gritty and realistic themes, discussed India’s Oscar selection and the role he believes politics can play in the process during an interview with Variety India.
His comments came after the Marathi thriller Gondhal was selected as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
Kashyap questions Oscar selection process
Speaking about this year’s competition, Kashyap said Indian films face a difficult challenge when competing against international entries.
“This year, the competition is really tough. It’s hard this year to beat the international entries for the Oscars,” he said.
The filmmaker also questioned the criteria used to determine which films should be considered for international recognition.
According to Kashyap, one important qualification should be whether a film has screened at an international festival outside India or secured an American distributor before the end of the year.
He also criticised what he described as the Film Federation of India’s handling of the selection process.
‘They messed it up’
Kashyap argued that India’s film institutions should focus more on helping films gain international exposure before they are considered for the Oscars.
“NFDC goes to every festival to set up a market without purpose. They should have a purpose to push the films that haven’t premiered outside the country to actually apply for festivals and not just play at the market,” he said.
Kashyap has also previously spoken about what he sees as political considerations within the Indian film industry, though his comments about the Oscar selection reflect his own assessment of the process.
Gondhal selected as India’s entry
Gondhal, a Marathi thriller, was chosen as India’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards on September 18.
The film was selected ahead of several other Indian productions.
Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar and Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga were among the films that were not chosen as India’s official entry.
