Vidarbha farmers object to Oscar entry for 'Peepli'

Nagpur, Sep 27 (IANS) Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), a farmers' advocacy group in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, has objected to the selection of Aamir Khan's 'Peepli Live' as India's official entry for the Oscars calling it as a 'black comedy'.

'Vidarbha is the epicentre of Indian agrarian crisis where around 200,000 farmers committed suicide in the last decade. The basic theme and script of the film is a satire on this serious issue. It would be absolutely wrong to say that farmers are committing suicide for compensation,' said Kishor Tiwari, president of VJAS Monday.

Vidarbha farmers and widows had Aug 15 protested the storyline of the film.

'We have written to union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni to cancel the nomination of 'Peepli Live' for the Oscars,' Tiwari said.