17 Indian films vying to make it to the Oscars - Page 4

Originally posted by: chocolover89

^I know! TDP came last year. Its not qualified and honestly not even good enough to be shortlisted. I have no idea why they have included it. Heroine is a big W*F for me too...as of now. It totally does not come across as an Oscar-worthy film.

The rest of the Bollywood nominations I'm totally fine with.

I've heard they're trying to push Barfi for a BAFTA nomination too.

Out of these though, the film most likely to make it at the Oscars is PST. ...Barfi maybe but I think the
subconscious inspirations will irritate the West. 😆

TDP will enter in soft po*n category 😉

Originally posted by: AreYaar

LOL@ Barfi being dismissed as a copy

I understand though why it won't work as an Oscar entry cuz the west prefers movies portraying Indians from villages or slums...sad but true fact...otherwise it's not "real" India...Go Oprah! :P

Of the lot, PST would deffo be the ideal choice...not just cuz of the fact that it DOES have a village backdrop story in many ways (check :P)...but for the fact that it's genuinely a very well made movie charting this story inspired from true events...there is drama, there is action, there is poignance, there is tragedy...a genuinely compelling story.


Barfi is art on another level...the sheer love and detailing in EVERY frame of this movie is something none of the other movies this year or frankly in MANY years have had...if ever at all...it can be claimed to be a "copy" but I can't remember the movies it's supposedly "copied" from making the kind of impact on me that Barfi did.

Originally posted by: chocolover89

Hahaha I wanted to say that but refrained 😆 There are quite a few folks in the West still have the "India is a poor country, there's only villages there...and snakes + elephants" notion sadly. I don't remember but a few days back on some channel some fashion show was on..I want to say it was Vera Wang but I don't remember anymore. Anywyas so her runways was India inspired...and she talked about snake charmers and her clothes reflected that too. *headdesk* Let's not even start with Oprah's oh-so-compelling trip to India.

And word yaar. I'm not even sure why people suddenly have a problem with Barfi being Charlie Chaplin inspired...I mean wasn't it OBVIOUS? Its not even something Ranbir, Anurag Basu, anyone associated with the film has denied. 😆 It's as if you can't have a film get this much acclaim so we GOTTA find something bad in it 😆 I've also seen people who actually have a problem with the fact that Barfi & Jhilmil were shown ...as happy charcaters believe it or not. 😕😆😆 I guess they wanted an SLB melodrama where the emotional manipulation. They should be shown as UNHAPPY individuals..who are essentially shown as a bojh.

Anyways, there's copying blatantly to cash in on previous success, and there's inspiration that is a homage...that is done as a sign of respect. Maybe its my bias but I always felt ki Barfi was a homage to movies Basu loves. Khair it bothers me that people can't see beyond "oh it's a copy" for Barfi. There's so much to Barfi than mere "copied scenes."

I love Barfi, but I don't see it winning an Oscar at all. PST is really the best bet because it is a very well made movie with great storytelling. 👍🏼

LOL arey I'm not surprised yaar...even now if I catch an epi of DWTS or STYCD, their version of "bollywood" dancing invariably has SOME snake charmer reference😆...I don't think these ppl will grow up anytime soon regarding their perception of India...😆


@bold: LOL cuz melodrama and glamour is what it's all about...two things SORELY lacking in Barfi...hence ppl have to find faults...the only way disabilities or tragedies have been presented to us in Indian movies are in vintage SLB melodrama style...it's alien and unthinkable for ppl to digest that there could be ANOTHER view on life and how to live it...and that is the Barfi view...to me, Barfi goes beyond just being a movie...it's a whole another perspective on cinema, how the cinematic medium can be used to portray something, how to view life.

I don't give two hoots about the actors in this movie and you can hardly call me a fan of any of them offscreen...it is the CHARACTERS they play that I'm in love with...and the brilliance with which they've played them

PST is a brilliant movie so it deserves all the kudos...so does Kahaani but if anyone will ask me what movie has STAYED with me, a week later, a month later, probably years from now it will be Barfi.

As for the "copied" claims...that's just such a narrow-minded view of looking at Barfi...it's like hating on Charlie Chaplin who btw himself wasn't original and also inspired from someone before him...To be truly inspired is to take and BUILD on something...and that is what I'd say Barfi was about...Basu was inspired from all the movies he's loved but he gave Barfi a UNIQUE spin of his own.

People are citing The Notebook a lot regarding the ending Barfi scene and Shruti's convos with her mom...LOL I've watched The Notebook many years back and yes I did like it but if you ask me today if that movie stayed with me, I'll say no...Barfi has that kind of STAYING power in your heart, mind that very very few movies do...and that comes from it's honest soul and artistry.

Honestly PST and Kahaani are both brilliant movies but I feel Barfi as a movie is a much harder one to make...we have many, MANY movies on drama, angst, mysteries, thrillers...but it is far more difficult to present simplicity with such disarming honesty and lack of superficiality...not a SINGLE superficial bone in this movie...especially given the subject matter it tackled which nearly EVERY movie on the subject tends to get MANIPULATIVE on...but not Barfi...and that is why Barfi is special...maybe not Oscar-worthy special...but special on it's own level that I doubt any movie can touch anytime soon.

Originally posted by: AreYaar

LOL arey I'm not surprised yaar...even now if I catch an epi of DWTS or STYCD, their version of "bollywood" dancing invariably has SOME snake charmer reference😆...I don't think these ppl will grow up anytime soon regarding their perception of India...😆


@bold: LOL cuz melodrama and glamour is what it's all about...two things SORELY lacking in Barfi...hence ppl have to find faults...the only way disabilities or tragedies have been presented to us in Indian movies are in vintage SLB melodrama style...it's alien and unthinkable for ppl to digest that there could be ANOTHER view on life and how to live it...and that is the Barfi view...to me, Barfi goes beyond just being a movie...it's a whole another perspective on cinema, how the cinematic medium can be used to portray something, how to view life.

I don't give two hoots about the actors in this movie and you can hardly call me a fan of any of them offscreen...it is the CHARACTERS they play that I'm in love with...and the brilliance with which they've played them

PST is a brilliant movie so it deserves all the kudos...so does Kahaani but if anyone will ask me what movie has STAYED with me, a week later, a month later, probably years from now it will be Barfi.

As for the "copied" claims...that's just such a narrow-minded view of looking at Barfi...it's like hating on Charlie Chaplin who btw himself wasn't original and also inspired from someone before him...To be truly inspired is to take and BUILD on something...and that is what I'd say Barfi was about...Basu was inspired from all the movies he's loved but he gave Barfi a UNIQUE spin of his own.

People are citing The Notebook a lot regarding the ending Barfi scene and Shruti's convos with her mom...LOL I've watched The Notebook many years back and yes I did like it but if you ask me today if that movie stayed with me, I'll say no...Barfi has that kind of STAYING power in your heart, mind that very very few movies do...and that comes from it's honest soul and artistry.

Honestly PST and Kahaani are both brilliant movies but I feel Barfi as a movie is a much harder one to make...we have many, MANY movies on drama, angst, mysteries, thrillers...but it is far more difficult to present simplicity with such disarming honesty and lack of superficiality...not a SINGLE superficial bone in this movie...especially given the subject matter it tackled which nearly EVERY movie on the subject tends to get MANIPULATIVE on...but not Barfi...and that is why Barfi is special...maybe not Oscar-worthy special...but special on it's own level that I doubt any movie can touch anytime soon.

there may be some good regional movies also apart from BW

Has anyone seen the telugu movie Eega? It is a very creative movie. Following is the link to it's trailer, do watch it till the end to see what is the movie about:

I don't know about the regional movies but the only Hindi movie the western world wouldn't laugh at is Gangs of Wasseypur. India always picks the wrong movies so I expect them to go for something like The Dirty Picture.

Originally posted by: Cthulhu

It's not just the issue of what west wants. There have been amazing movies from other developing countries too that got appreciated at oscars. Barfi is amazing yet we can't be oblivious to the plagiarized scenes. It's not just inspired but some scenes are direct lifts. Even the music is inspired. So Barfi just doesn't stand any chance at Academy. Also, Basu should fear lawsuit if it goes out. I still love the songs and film and hope for it to win Indian awards as we've in the past rewarded much worse.

TDP was appreciated more for the skin show so it's embarrassing to even send it for Academy. Just send any of Bhatt's soft po*n then.

Paan Singh Tomar is original and Irrfan Khan is a known actor in the west. I hope India sends Paan Singh Tomar or other deserving regional films.

I read barfi's review and it was pretty unoriginal. why was everyone going gaga over it?

Hope aakashathinte niram goes this time ... last year too a malayalam film went which is 'aadaminte makan abu'...n in the music category too a malayalam film was competing... n this 'aakashathinte niram' got standing ovation at shanghai festival ... it had prithviraj's brother indrajith as hero , with prithvi playing a cameo ...but i guess 'pan singh tomar' or GoW will have a better chance