Is Eklavya a good choice for the Oscars?

http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/sep/25msg.htm

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Eklavya: THe Royal Guard found some praise with critics when it released this year, even though audiences rejected it outright.

The Film Federation Of India (FFI), on the other hand, seemed to love it, and selected the film as India's official choice to the Oscars.

Eklavya, one of Chopra's best-directed films, stars Amitabh Bachchan [Images], Saif Ali Khan [Images], Sanjay Dutt [Images] and Vidya Balan [Images]. It is a story of how Bachchan, a royal guard, protects the heir Saif against his evil relatives.

"It was a close call between Dharam and Eklavya," said Vinod Pandey, chairman of FFI's selection committee. The other films in the running were Gandhi, My Father and Chak De! India.

Do you think Eklavya is a good choice to be sent to the Oscars? If not, which film do you think deserves it?

Regional films were not even considered this time. Do you think that's fair? Were there any good regional movies that should have been selected?

I am shocked! What a bad choice! This is a rediff article, along with the list of movies I would also like to add "Black Friday" and "Guru". Though my personal choice would have been "Gandhi my father", an excellent appealing one 👏 for the oscars.

I think 'Ghandhi my father' is good choice..... 😊

It is a terrible choice.

What is our purpose of sending movies to Oscar?

----We want the award.

So shouldn't we by now have learnt penchant of selection committee?

---- We should have only if our own selection committe had some brain and kept favoritism aside.

My choice is Chak De India. I don't know how long that film is but it could have been reduced to 2 hours by editing over-emotional scenes. I am sure it had all the elements of an ideal Oscar entry.

Originally posted by: Pradarshak

I would also like to add "Black Friday" and "Guru". Though my personal choice would have been "Gandhi my father", an excellent appealing one 👏 for the oscars.

Black Friday is dark and controversial for an Oscar entry.

Guru much better choice than Eklavya. Gandhi My father would have been apt.

Originally posted by: Maya_M

Black Friday is dark and controversial for an Oscar entry.

Guru much better choice than Eklavya. Gandhi My father would have been apt.

"Guru" is too long that could be a reason for not sending. "Black Friday" has an issue - okay. "Chak de India" would have been a great choice. Since sports movie(Lagaan) finds a place."Gandhi My Father" would have been the best, not only it is because it's a great movie but also it has the name "Gandhi", west is totally mesmerized by that name. Really don't understand what kind of idiots sit in that position and choose such a movie like "Ekalavya". I guess it was a long time wish of Vidhu Vinod Chopra(no offense) to be a part of the oscars(even last year he sent "LRMB" as an independent movie when "RDB" was the official choice), which he got(???) fulfilled this year.

I havent se nany of the movies 😳
but with public reaction and some of my friends views i think Chak DE ! India is rt one...

As Maya ji Said, it should be trimmed and make a 2 hour one...

dialogues should ke make bold like
aaj pehli baar ek angrez ko bharat ka jhanda uncha karte dekh raha ho 😃 (i dont know is this the correct words)

lekin winning a oscar is not so easy...
when lagaan went i felt they will win but after seeing the movie which won against lagaan "No Mans Land" Man i must say it was really kool film

why not nishabd if that's the standard

hell no! i squirm to hear such thngs!

Originally posted by: Pradarshak

I guess it was a long time wish of Vidhu Vinod Chopra(no offense) to be a part of the oscars(even last year he sent "LRMB" as an independent movie when "RDB" was the official choice), which he got(???) fulfilled this year.

VVC is a different man today, a weird one. I am sure he influenced Sudhir Pande and the rest. Otherwise 'Dharm' was front runner. I haven't heard of that movie though.

Chak De India was oscar material:

--a minority lead in an Indian movie

--a dead sport revived

--inspiration for South Asian/small town women

What movie is "Dharam"? Whose? Is it a regional movie? No problem with a regional movie if it's a good one.

Liked Chaak de...., it was a good inspirational movie. I would have been happy had Chaak de India made it as official entry.

"Gandhi my Father" gave me goose bumps, very neat picture. The father-son relationship/conflict was beautifully portrayed. There was nothing negetive about Gandhi, his sacrifice of fatherhood for the country was shown. That added something more to his characte, which we were not so aware of.

What a pathetic movie was "Ekalavya", VVC has lost his spark of "Parinda", long back. This story is so irrelevant in today's world. Don't know which world VVC lives in. Indians trashed this movie. I really pray this movie should not pass the first round, it would be shameful if it wins oscar.