India Does Not Need Oscars
Why India does not win Oscars, asks Aditya Kuber
Kahaan say shru karaiN?
Let me begin with the negatives. Not winning the Oscars is not about story, writing, acting, photography or production values of a given film. What passes for the art/alternative cinema in India has produced gems that can stand with the best anywhere in the world.
I did use art/alternative advisedly. Please forgive me if i am not so gung-ho on mainstream crash-crutch-crush masala stuff. (Future father in law crashes into hero, banged up hero in hospital on crutches, ends up with a crush on the daughter.)
If Hollywood were a patient and I a doctor I would have prescribed treatment for a severe case of narcissism. The Academy is the ultimate in narcissism: the doggie-bone of best foreign film Oscar aside!
The Oscars are the epitome of blatant back rubs. It is a North American game. You rub mine I'll..... And please, no scratches, am married! (This is just a figure of speech M);)
As the Indians and others learn the rope they will stand a better chance. Best Movie Oscar winner Crash Crash producers sent out 160,000 copies of it to garner votes. Other incentives to lure are not mentioned. (Of course the product has to have merit too.)
Now a bit less seriously: why should we worry about it for more than ten seconds? Bollywood does not need Oscar recognition. In a few decades it will be Oscar that will need Bollywood.
And now a bit more seriously. It appears as if some members of the AMPSA (Academy of Motion Picture Sciences and Arts) were stricken with guilt when they made the decision to award Satyajit Ray a lifetime achievement Oscar on his death bed. It is best not to speculate why he was not awarded an Oscar earlier.
I rue the moment Satyajit Ray agreed to accept the lifetime achievement Oscar (1992) from his death bed in Calcutta/Kolkota. Maybe his treatment and drugs rendered him incapable of better judgement. His family or handlers should have counseled him. It was a sad display of capitulation by what many consider an Indian Film legend, icon and genius.
He ought to have displayed a greater sense of self respect.
Kahaan say shru karaiN?
Let me begin with the negatives. Not winning the Oscars is not about story, writing, acting, photography or production values of a given film. What passes for the art/alternative cinema in India has produced gems that can stand with the best anywhere in the world.
I did use art/alternative advisedly. Please forgive me if i am not so gung-ho on mainstream crash-crutch-crush masala stuff. (Future father in law crashes into hero, banged up hero in hospital on crutches, ends up with a crush on the daughter.)
If Hollywood were a patient and I a doctor I would have prescribed treatment for a severe case of narcissism. The Academy is the ultimate in narcissism: the doggie-bone of best foreign film Oscar aside!
The Oscars are the epitome of blatant back rubs. It is a North American game. You rub mine I'll..... And please, no scratches, am married! (This is just a figure of speech M);)
As the Indians and others learn the rope they will stand a better chance. Best Movie Oscar winner Crash Crash producers sent out 160,000 copies of it to garner votes. Other incentives to lure are not mentioned. (Of course the product has to have merit too.)
Now a bit less seriously: why should we worry about it for more than ten seconds? Bollywood does not need Oscar recognition. In a few decades it will be Oscar that will need Bollywood.
And now a bit more seriously. It appears as if some members of the AMPSA (Academy of Motion Picture Sciences and Arts) were stricken with guilt when they made the decision to award Satyajit Ray a lifetime achievement Oscar on his death bed. It is best not to speculate why he was not awarded an Oscar earlier.
I rue the moment Satyajit Ray agreed to accept the lifetime achievement Oscar (1992) from his death bed in Calcutta/Kolkota. Maybe his treatment and drugs rendered him incapable of better judgement. His family or handlers should have counseled him. It was a sad display of capitulation by what many consider an Indian Film legend, icon and genius.
He ought to have displayed a greater sense of self respect.
posted by temporal at 3/06/2006
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