'RRR', 'Kashmir Files', 'Kantara': The 3 films that rubbed Leftists the wrong way is in Oscar's reminder list

New Delhi, Jan 10: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has revealed the list of feature films which are eligible for the 95th Academy Awards. A total of 301 feature films are eligible for the 95th Oscars.

Out of 301 films, SS Rajamouli's 'RRR', Vivek Agnihotri's 'Kashmir Files' and Rishab Shetty's 'Kantara' along with a few other movies have found the place in the list released on Monday. Interestingly, these three movies have been criticised by the left liberals in India.

The Leftists' Criticism

Very recently, Ratna Pathak Shah, wife of veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, called SS Rajamouli's 'RRR', one of the three pan-India movies to universally win the hearts of the cine-goers in the country, a "regressive" film. "Films like RRR are so popular today. But it's a regressive film. It looks backwards while we should look forward. We just feel whatever we are doing is good because we are part of the mother of democracy-India."

She then urged filmmakers to analyse their work critically. "Until filmmakers will not see their work critically, we will have to watch films like RRR. But we don't like criticism... Our ego gets hurt. This atmosphere is created by so many big people and unfortunately, we have accepted it," she said while speaking at the function to launch the book 'The Queen, The Courtesan, The Doctor' written by Sabah Khan, at YWCA's Lady Willingdon Hostel in Mumbai.

Likewise, 'The Kashmir Files' was targeted by the leftist ecosystem by calling the film of the exodus of Hindus from the valley as "bigotry" and accused the movie of inciting hate. In November 2022, Nadav Lapidwho headed the the jury of the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), called 'The Kashmir Files' as "vulgar" and "propaganda" film at the closing ceremony of IFFI (International Film Festival of India) which triggered massive outrage in India. In fact, Israeli Ambassador to India, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, Naor Golin to slammed the comments and said that the Leftist filmmaker should be "ashamed of himself" for making those controversial comments.

In case of 'Kantara', leftists found the movie to be a misogynistic and regressive film. Anand Gandhi, Tumbbad's creative director, made critical comments about Shetty-starrer and said that it was celebration of toxic masculinity. "Kantara is nothing like Tumbbad. My idea behind Tumbbad was to use the horror as an allegory of toxic masculinity and parochialism. Kantara is a celebration of these," he tweeted.

The audience did not give a damn about the remarks and the movies cut language barriers to win the hearts of cine-goers even from outside India.

Apart from the aforementioned films, Pan Nalin'sChhello Show (Last Film Show), which is India's official Oscar entry, Marathi films Me Vasantrao, 'Tujhya Sathi Kahi Hi', R Madhavan's 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect', 'Iravin Nizhal' and Kannada movie Vikrant Rona are part of the list. Documentaries All That Breathes by Shaunak Sen and Kartiki Gonsalves' The Elephant Whisperers are also part of the list.

Voting

The 9,579 eligible voting members will start filling out their ballots from January 12 and it will come to close on Tuesday, January 17.The official Oscar nominations will be announced January 24, with the ceremony airing live on ABC March 12 from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.