Unlike the National Awards, here only one film can make the cut: Abhishek Jain

Talking about the kind of entries that were sent for consideration, the director, who has been on the jury for IFFI Goa and the National Film Awards in the past, shares, “India is a huge market where we make films in many different languages, so this year too, there were a lot of films from different languages including Marathi, Telugu, Hindi, Manipuri. However, it was disappointing to not have any entries in Gujarati.”
Jain adds, “I think a lot of films surprised us, especially Marathi films, which have done really well. There were also a couple of Hindi films which have not been released in theatres yet, so it was competitive. Unlike the National Awards, here only one film can make the cut.”
Each year, the choice of film as India's official Oscar entry has faced criticism - be it from the industry or the audience, adding to the pressure a jury would already be under. "Every time a film is picked for the Oscars, not everyone might agree with the selection. Honestly, it is more about the jury than the film itself. So, there's a lot of onus on us. It is not an easy task to watch so many films and pick one that fits the criteria. A lot of deliberation and thought goes behind the process."


‘We must encourage Gujarati filmmakers to send entries’
Disappointed at the lack of Gujarati films in the list of entries submitted this year, Jain says that Gujarati filmmakers must be encouraged to send in their films for consideration. “It is a producer’s prerogative. The Film Federation of India invites makers to apply, which includes a basic fee. The point is that a maker should be confident and aware to send her / his film. While I cannot say that it is the right time to send Gujarati films for consideration, I feel the day is not too far when we would see our films competing at the Oscars too - for example, The Chhello Show made it work a couple of years ago.”
He adds, "When I see so many films from different parts of the country being sent, I feel why not a Gujarati film? We must encourage Gujarati filmmakers to at least apply. Whether it gets selected or not comes later, but at least you mark your presence, and a prestigious jury watches your film. It would bring credibility and repute to the industry as well."

'We look for a film that represents India'
On how a group of people with different POVs come together to decide on one film, Abhishek says, "14 of us have different ways of looking at a film, but unanimously, we look forward to a film that represents India, talk about the kind of technical or narrative prowess a particular film shows. Language is not a barrier because any film made in any language in India is an Indian film at the end of the day. The bigger milestone is to get through the top nominations at The Academys." He adds, "We also take into consideration how the chosen film could be promoted at the Oscars, what backing it can receive from its producers, etc, so that film is in the limelight and gets the right attention."