Rang De... pipped to BAFTA by Guillermo del Toro's 'Pan's Labyrinth'

New Delhi, Feb 12 (UNI) After failing to secure a nomination at the Academy awards, the Aamir Khan-starrer 'Rang De Basanti' has been pipped by Mexican film Pans Labyrinth to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards (BAFTA) awards in the Best Foreign Language film category.

'Rang De Basanti', which had last month been nominated to the BAFTA, considered the British version of the Oscars, in the 'Film Not in the English Language' category along with Guillermo del Toro's 'Pan's Labyrinth', Mel Gibsons Apocalypto, Pedro Almodovars Volver and Paul Verhoevens Black Book, failed to win an award in the category at the awards held in the Royal Opera House in London last night.

The award in the category went to Guillermo del Toro's fantastical saga 'Pan's Labyrinth'.

Golden Globe winners Forest Whitaker and Dame Helen Mirren bagged the best actor and actress awards for their films 'The Last King of Scotland' and 'The Queen' respectively.

'The Last King of Scotland' also bagged the Best Film award.

Present at the awards ceremony were Bollywood actor Aamir Khan with his wife, the film's director Rakeysh Mehra along with his wife, the producer Ronnie Screwvala of UTV and the script writer and renowned ad man Prasoon Joshi.

Coming close on heels of the film, Indias official entry to the Oscars, failing to figure in the Oscar shortlist of nine films in the Best Foreign Language Film' category ahead of the nominations, 'Rang De Basanti's failure to make a cut at the BAFTA indeed comes as a disappointment for lovers of Indian cinema.

However, analysts as well as those associated with the making of the film feel that reaching the final stage at the BAFTA, which is known as the British Oscars, was no less an honour for the film.

That 'Rang De Basanti' was competing with some great international ventures like 'Pan's Labyrinth', Mel Gibsons Apocalypto, Pedro Almodovars Volver and Paul Verhoevens Black Book, that were in the running in the category was a great honour for the film.

Analysts say a nomination at the BAFTA is no less significant an achievement for 'Rang De Basanti' than the Oscars themselves.

Infact, the director Rakeysh Mehra, in recent interviews, has said being nominated for the BAFTA was a bigger honour than getting an Oscars nomination.

The acronym for British Academy of Film and Television Arts, BAFTA is considered the highest honour in film and television.

The failure to make a mark at OScars and BAFTA notwithstanding analysts feel that 'Rang De Basanti' has been one of the most pathbreaking films coming from the stable of Bollywood in recent years.

The film has, over the last year, cast a tremendous impact on the people with its message of 'standing up to a cause' akin to our freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and Rajguru.

The effect of the film can be seen from the infamous Jessica Lal verdict to the Narmada anti-dam campaign to the latest protest marches against the proposed quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in institutes of higher learning.

Protests forms in India have undergone a sea change from the usual hunger-strike, mob-violence routine.

''Rang De Basanti has touched and still continues to touch the hearts and minds of viewers across the world. The biggest reward has been the impact the movie has had on the youth of India and elsewhere,''UTV CEO Ronnie Screwvala says.

UNI