“Do you know Naatu? Because if not, you’re about to,” mentioned Deepika Padukone on stage on the ninety fifth Academy Awards, as she launched the Naatu Naatu efficiency. She was interrupted twice due to the cheering of the viewers, and deservedly so- moments later when the foot-tapping dance quantity ended, these seated on the Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles, stood up and erupted in a standing ovation. (Also learn: RRR’s Naatu Naatu efficiency will get standing ovation at Oscars, Deepika Padukone introduces it; Priyanka Chopra cheers)
India had motive to cheer loud on the ninety fifth Academy Awards. ‘Naatu Naatu’ from RRR and the movie The Elephant Whisperers created historical past by profitable of their respective classes. ‘Naatu Naatu’ gained within the Best Original Song’ class and The Elephant Whisperers gained within the Best Documentary Short Subject race, in what has now was an historic 12 months for Indian cinema on the world platform.
Apart from the winners, India additionally left a spot within the Best Documentary Feature class, with Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes, though it was Daniel Roher’s Navalny that took house the gold. This is the second consecutive 12 months the place an Indian documentary has secured its place within the class: final 12 months it was Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh’s Writing with Fire. Can India rating a hattrick with Against the Tide, which gained the Cinema Vérité award at Sundance Film Festival this January, on this class? Only time will inform.
At the thirtieth Academy Awards, it was Mother India, which was nominated within the Best International Feature Film class and famously misplaced to the Italian movie Nights of Cabaria by one vote. Fali Bilimoria’s The House That Ananda Built was the primary Indian movie to be nominated within the Best Documentary Short class. Ishu Patel was nominated within the Best Animated Short Film class for Bead Game in 1969. Then, it was Okay.Okay. Kapil whose An Encounter with Faces secured a spot within the Best Documentary Short subsequent 12 months on the 51st Academy Awards. Indian movie producer Ismail Merchant scored two nominations in two completely different classes, with The Creation of Women and A Room with a View within the Best Live Action Short and Best Picture respectively.
The first ever Indian to win an Oscar was Bhanu Athaiya, who gained for Best Costume Design on the fifty fifth Academy Awards for her work in Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi, the biographical movie that was co-produced by the National Film Development Corporation of India. Ravi Shankar was additionally nominated within the Best Original Score class for his work on the movie. “It’s too good to believe,” Athaiya mentioned in her speech, accepting the Oscar in a shiny blue sari. She additionally thanked Attenborough for “focusing world attention on India.”
The consideration then rapidly settled on to Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay! and Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan, each of which have been nominated within the Best Interntional Feature class in 1988 and 2001, however misplaced to Pelle the Conqueror and Bosnia’s No Man’s Land, respectively. The Academy then selected to award probably the most revered filmmakers of the nation, whose work has lengthy been admired by the West. It was director Satyajit Ray, who was bestowed with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992.
After a number of years, it was Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, which put India entrance and centre on the 81st Academy Awards, profitable 8 Oscars, together with Best Picture and Best Director. A. R. Rahman gained two Oscars that evening, for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for Jai Ho, shared by lyricist Gulzar. Resul Pookutty additionally gained the Oscar on the identical evening within the Best Sound Mixing class. Even although the Danny Boyle movie divided Indian media and critics for its portrayal of poverty and youngster labour, it was an enormous win for India. Rahman additionally scored two one other nominations for 127 Hours, in the identical two classes on the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011.
Next in 2013, it was Bombay Jayashri who was nominated for her work in Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, within the Best Original Song. A win for India got here shut, a number of years later, with Period. End of Sentence, profitable the Oscar on the 91st Academy Awards ceremony within the Best Documentary (Short Subject) class. Although set in Delhi and centred across the stigma of menstruation in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, the movie was directed by Iranian-American filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi.
With two Academy Award wins this 12 months, India has had a groundbreaking 12 months on the Oscars, and undoubtedly there may be extra to come back. Guneet Monga, whose Oscar speech was sadly lower brief on the ceremony, had one of the best response after her win. On her Instagram, she concluded: “The future is audacious and the future is here.”
Source: www.hindustantimes.com