India rolls Liar’s Dice for the Oscars
Hindi road drama Liar’s Dice will be India’s nomination for the Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, which will be given away in Los Angeles in 2015.
The movie, directed by Kerala State award-winner Geetu Mohandas, stars national award winners Geetanjali Thapa and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Set along the Himachal-Tibet border, the movie deals with distress migration.
“I am overwhelmed by the news but not overexcited about it. You feel very good and enjoy a positive energy when people call up to share their joy about the movie getting selected as the nation’s entry for the best foreign language film of the 87th Academy Awards,” she told The Hindu here on Tuesday attributing her nomination to her “lucky stars.” Liar’s Dice has been on a roll on the international festival circuit, besides winning two national awards, for best actress for Geethanjali Thapa (who played the protagonist, Kamala), and best cinematographer for Rajeev Ravi (Geetu’s husband).
Liar’s Dice was the unanimous choice
Liar’s Dice, directed by Geetu Mohandas, was the unanimous choice of the 12-member selection committee, headed by Malayalam filmmaker T. Hariharan, as India’s entry for the Oscar, Film Federation of India Deputy Secretary Anindya Sengupta said here on Tuesday.
The film had to compete with 29 other films, including the Tamil movie Kochadaiyaan and the Hindi films Mardaani, Shahid, Filmistaan, Queen and Mary Kom. At the Oscars, it will compete with Poland’s Ida, Sweden’s Force Majeure and Canada’s Mommy.
Mommy won the Jury Prize at Cannes this year and Ida has bagged prizes at the London and Toronto film festivals last year.
Asked how she plans to market her movie ahead of the race for the Oscars, Geetu replied in her characteristic style that she would not do any lobbying or marketing to get noticed in Hollywood. “I am confident that the movie would speak for itself,” she said.
Liar’s Dice is her first Hindi film and only her second directorial venture. She is currently working on a Malayalam film.
Speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Mohandas said, “Whatever happens at the Oscars will not take away our hard work and efforts.”
No Indian film has won the Academy Award so far and only three films — Lagaan, Salaam Bombay and Mother India — have made it to the top five finalists in past years.
