India’s Quest for the Oscars (2012-2016)

Disclaimer: Just a list of movies where the year in parenthesis gives the year it was selected for the Oscars. (And if you are too lazy to read, click here.)

With the recent news that Newton will be India’s official entry into the Oscars, we can’t help but feel both happy and proud that good cinema is being recognized all around the country. So, to sort of celebrate this occasion we decided to show you a list of India’s Oscar entries from the last five years.

1. Barfi! (2012)

India’s official entry to the Oscars in the year 2012, not many would have expected a commercial Bollywood film (with accusations of having copied from Hollywood) to have been sent. The film was a success at the box-office and won quite a few Filmfares, but that only strengthened the point of those against this film’s nomination. It is the most controversial film to have been selected for the Oscars.

2. The Good Road (2013)

Set in Gujarat and made in Gujarat, this film was selected as India’s official entry in the year 2013. Told in a Hyperlink Format, The Good Road went on to win a National Award, but just like every Indian movie that came before it, it failed to make a mark on the Oscar jury.

3. Liar’s Dice (2014)

A lesser known film of Nawazudin Siddiqui, Liar’s Dice tells the story about rural people migrating to cities and the social problems that ensue. The film received much fanfare at international film festivals and managed to bag two National Awards. So, it came as no surprise when it was nominated as India’s official entry to the Oscars.

4. Court (2015)

The critically acclaimed Marathi courtroom drama, Court won awards at numerous international film festivals and received praise for being bold and honest. A Best Picture win in the 2015 National Awards only sealed the fate of this movie as one that was not only brilliantly made, but one which was worthy of the Oscars. However, the Oscar Jury sitting in USA thought otherwise.

5. Interrogation (2016)

Also called Visaranai, is a Tamil movie that released in 2015 and was sent for the Oscars in 2016. Like most of the films in this list, it won accolades in international film festivals and won 3 National Awards. However, just like every other film in the list, it failed to get nominated for the final round.

All the movies above are great to watch and are extremely well-made too (except one, I suppose). But India’s history at the Oscars have been forgetful, with our last nominated film coming way back in 2001 with Lagaan. So, we just hope that Newton makes at least some mark in the Oscars, because that will be a great win over the commercial Bollywood cinema.

Stranger Than Fiction: 5 Bollywood Films Based On Real Incidents

Disclaimer: This is a list of some fine movies and the list isn’t in any particular order, what more do I say.

Life is strange and the world is stranger. And sometimes, that strangeness is depicted onscreen, leaving the audience appalled and unbelieving of what they witnessed. So here is a list of 5 Bollywood movies that are based on true stories, some really strange true stories.

1) Manjhi – The Mountain Man (2015)

Source: Wikipedia

Based on the life of Dashrath Manjhi, ‘Manjhi’ is the story of how a man carves a path right through the heart of a mountain. And he did all this with just a hammer and a chisel. It took the man 22 years to carve the road, which eventually reduced the distance between his village and the nearby town by a huge margin. Nawzuddin Siddiqui wonderfully portrayed the titular character, enabling himself and the movie to receive much fanfare and critical acclaim.

2) Neerja (2016)

Source: Wikipedia

The story of a young girl who saved hundreds of lives by laying down her own at the young age of 23. When Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked, it was this one girl’s bravery and quick thinking that saved many people. Her sacrifice was recognized internationally and she became a beacon of hope for holding one’s own in the face of adversity. Sonam Kapoor received a National Award for the role of Neerja Bhanot.

3) The Stoneman Murders (2009)

Source: Wikipedia

Starting in the year 1985 and continuing till 1987, the streets of Bombay was ‘haunted’ by a serial killer who would squash his victim’s head with a heavy stone. The victims were mostly the homeless people and it is reported that the killer murdered a total of 12 people. ‘The Stoneman Murders’ is Bollywood’s take on this chilling real crime, a crime which till date remains unresolved.

4) Talvar (2015)

Source: Wikipedia

A daughter is murdered in the room next to her parents and it is suspected to be the work of the house-help. However, the next day, the body of the house-help is discovered on the roof, triggering a chain of events leading to the conviction of the parents. ‘Talvar’ is based on the infamous Noida Double Murder Case of 2008 and attempts to throw light on the investigation that ensued the murders. It takes into account the claims of a botched-up investigation, and the ending will leave you wondering who the culprit actually was.

5) Airlift (2016)

Source: Wikipedia

Can you imagine the aerial evacuation of thousands and thousands of people, while enemies circle around them like vultures? Well, the movie ‘Airlift’ attempts to do that. It is the story of the evacuation of Indians during the 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein. The movie takes a few creative liberties but still lets you grasp the full story completely, leaving you with a sense of wonderment and relief.

Dollars for a Dime: 5 Low-Budget Movies That Earned Big

Disclaimer: This list is not a ranking. The movies that came up first in the author’s research have been placed first. It’s as simple as that. 

1. Rocky (1976)
   
   (“Rocky Balboa” by Phim Ảnh is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

   Made on a budget of $1 million dollars. and at a time when Sylvester Stallone was broke and homeless, ‘Rocky’ went on to earn $225 million and started a franchise which till date has $1.4 billion! Well, that’s quite a win I would say.

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2. The Purge (2013)
   The first movie had some great actors but was made on a $3 million dollar budget. Fast-forward just a couple of years and not just that first low-budget film made $89 million at the box-office, but it also spurned a successful trilogy.

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3. Moon (2009)
   
   (“Sam Rockwell – Moon” by Mark Hillary is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

   Can you imagine, a sci-fi film made with just $5 million (and not with shitty CGI), well, ‘Moon’ managed to do that. Its box-office success wasn’t as great as the other movies on this list, however, ‘Moon’ managed to be critically acclaimed and won numerous awards. This has led to a cult following and a string of movies set in the same universe.

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4. Paranormal Activity (2007)
   Who doesn’t knows the success story of this movie? Made with just $15,000 and with a hand-held camera, no one expected it to be a success. But it managed to earn nearly 13,000 times its profit and created a nearly billion dollar franchise.

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5. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
   
   (“Slumdog Millionaire” by Poakpong is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

   Not exactly a small budget, but neither a big one, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ was made with just $15 million by a director whose fees alone should have been that much. The film earned $370 million, 8 Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Director) and launched the career of its lead actor and actresses. It really did make a few people millionaires.