New Delhi: The stage is set for the year 2006 being a path-breaking year, in India's quest for the Oscars.
After the entry of as many as three Indian films for the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars awards this year, comes the news that Rang De Basanti, chosen by the Film Federation of India as India's nominee to the Oscars in the category, will now also compete in seven other mainline categories at the prestigious awards.
Besides being India's official nomination in the category of Best Foreign Language Film, Rang De Basanti will compete in the following categories: Best Film, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Art Direction and Best Sound Design at the 79th Annual Academy Awards, the film's Producer and Chief Executive Officer of UTV Ronnie Screwvala said.
"There is only one official entry per country in the coveted foreign language film category, besides that we have also applied in seven Mainline Categories," Ronnie Screwvala said.
He, however, said their focus would remain on winning the the Best Foreign Language Film Category at the Oscars.
Rang De Basanti competing in eight categories comes close on the heels of the producers of Lage Raho Munnabhai announcing the decision to send the film to the Oscars as an independent entry.
Meanwhile, Deepa Mehta's Water was recently nominated by Canada as its official entry for the Best foreign film category.
“In the Foreign Language Category, no other film can apply from India,” said Screwvala, adding that Rang De Basanti, therefore, would not be competing with any other Indian film.
About Lage Raho Munnabhai making an independent entry in the race, he said, “It is true that any film can apply in the Mainline Category but then you are up against all the Hollywood majors, where we too have applications in seven such categories".
When asked whether he would have applied separately had Rang De Basanti not been the official entry, Screwvala gave a definite, "No.”
''We believe there should only be one entry per country and for us now Rang De Basanti does not only belong to UTV or Rakeysh Mehra but to every Indian," he said.
Trade analysts say Rang De Basanti stands a good chance at bagging the Oscar in the Best Foreign Film category, which eluded Ashutosh Gowarikar's Lagaan in 2002 that lost the race to Bosnia's No Man's Land by a whisker.
Now, with the film competing for seven other categories as well, chances of India bringing home an Oscar have definitely brightened.
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