Overrated Oscars not for Indians, let's raise our standard

Why celebrated Indian filmmakers like SS Rajamouli should stop giving a damn about such hype and hoopla over the awards.

New Delhi, Dec 10: Why are Indian movies not up to the international standards to win Oscars or Academy Awards? Is the Academy biased towards Indian movies? Such questions are often raised in India by cinephiles. Their anguish is valid since we are fed that Oscars are the biggest awards in the cinema world. This year, there is much interest among the cine-goers about the ceremony since SS Rajamouli is running a campaign to get a nomination for Oscars for his blockbuster 'RRR' starring Jr NTR and Ram Charan.

For decades, the Indian film industry has been looked down upon by the Academy. Many movies that had the potential to win were never given due recognition. However, the movies that had stories from India like 'Slumdog Millionaire' (2008) and 'Gandhi' (1982) had won the awards, but they have not been produced by Indian filmmakers. It is also believed that if India-related movies which show the country in a bad light, portraying its poverty or isolated cases of bigotry, usually attract the people who are eligible to vote at the Oscars.

Seeking validation

Should India worry about not winning an Oscar? Definitely, not. India is not America or like any European country. India's language, culture and psyche are different. We have our own way of telling stories using songs to the fullest effect or action sequences that for many common man is a blessing because they make them forget all their real-life problems. Critics call them 'masala movies' and have been using that phrase to degrade our films. But our audience love these masala movies, although they have started craving for a variety of contents, of late.

This has been our strength, as the audience across the languages like content with songs, action and emotional drama. But the English or European movies are different from us. For this reason, they might have not found our content appealing. So, Indians should not worry about the fact that our movies are not being acknowledged at the highly overrated Oscars. That's because once we aim at winning those awards we will end up becoming like the foreign filmmakers and there is no difference between Indian and films made in foreign countries. The fine example that we have before us is Bollywood which deviated from rooted movies and imitated Western movies for decades. Today, the industry is facing an identity crisis and films made from states like Karnataka and Andhra are winning the hearts of the Hindi audience.

Make Movies for Audience, Not for Awards

Let's be proud of the fact that our movies are being watched by crores of Indians and we do not need validation from the foreign filmmakers or a jury. For instance, the recent hit movie 'Kantara' was watched by crores of people across the country which is any day a bigger success than getting some awards. The prime intention of making a film should be to entertain viewers and not to win honours or recognition, that too from foreigners who hardly understand the spirit of this country.

"Why should we be so worried about the Oscars and why do we want an acknowledgment from foreign (film industry)? Why is that? Do they ever say that they need a (Indian) National Award?" leading Bollywood filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali had once asked.

Hence, Indian filmmakers should stop seeking a stamp of approval at foreign events and stop giving a damn to the awards such as the Oscars. Also, it is more important to break the shackles of colonialism. In ace diplomat-turned-minister S Jaishankar's words, "We are one-fifth of the world's population and there is no need for us to please others for recognition if we have approval from our own people. When our estranged neighbour China has never cared about the Academy Awards, we should also take a cue from them.

Moreover, the event, as per a report, has lost 19.83 million viewers in the last two decades and its popularity is on a downslide world over. The award ceremonies are often mired in controversies and it required Will Smith's 'slapgate' to garner all the attention, last year. It's rather time for the establishment running the award show to ponder over the reasons behind its decline.

Multifaceted actor Kamal Haasan once rightly said: "Oscars is not a world standard, but it's only American standard awards." So, let's increase our standards.