Home   Forum   Wiki   Notes   Register   FAQ   Sitemap   About Us   Contact Us  

Lagaan for Oscars; New Horizons for ARR?

Topic started by WhyNot (@ 203.24.100.131) on Sun Nov 4 10:51:50 EST 2001.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Lagaan has been unanimously chosen as India's entry for Oscars Foreign Film Category for 2002. It beat Monsoon Weddings and Asoka. Though this is not the first ARR movie to be chosen, with Jeans selected in 98, this is definitely a more credible choice.
Will this mark a new beginning or open up newer horizons for ARR? As ALW's Bombay Dreams is more a Broadway production, this may introduce ARR to Hollywood in a big way. Or will Lagaan just find itself piled in the garbage can, following the very first round of selections, as all past Indian entries have?

---

Responses:

• From: WhyNot (@ 203.24.100.132) on: Sun Nov 4 11:15:05 EST 2001
  
  Correction: Not ALL past entries went to the garbage pile, with Mother India and Salaam Bombay making it to the nominations list.
  
  
• From: A.A. (@ 203.199.228.227) on: Sun Nov 4 12:05:12 EST 2001
  
  Lagaan was screened inUSA with nearly 100 prints.
  It has a female English Character who assists and help poor Indian villagers to beat the British team...Hence Lagaan has fair chance of getting Nominated at Oscar Academy level..
  
  
• From: an arr fan no.. arr ac (@ 203.197.135.86) on: Sun Nov 4 12:20:23 EST 2001
  
  Yippeeeeeeeeeeee
  
  
• From: kk (@ 172.173.149.8) on: Sun Nov 4 16:13:07 EST 2001
  
  nomination for lagaan is very hard.
  
  First of all its not that serious movie.
  
  Second theme is very week and old for hollywood..same seven samarai stuff ..underdogs beat tough guys..but with a sports twist.
  
  three.. there were many many similar sports movies in hollywood.
  
  four...Though its a period movie..it doesnt gives any social outlook of india in 19th century, nor about the british raj...nor about cricket..all made up stuff.
  
  five...Too many masala features like ...villian's sister falling for hero...jealous lover...betraying teammate...so and so..
  
  six...technicaly nothing great..usual orange tone photography..usual editing..but good music
  
  I love lagaan as a good indian movie attempt. But sorry, it wont attract academy votes.
  
  just my view.
  
  
• From: WhyNot (@ 203.24.100.132) on: Sun Nov 4 19:52:12 EST 2001
  
  Another Fact: Deepa Mehta's Earth was India's entry for 1999 Oscars and Indian was chosen in 1996. That makes Lagaan the fourth ARR movie to be nominated, unless someone knows of more.
  But I still find Lagaan the most credible of the four. Jeans was pure pulp. Earth was the twisted and biased tale of a Pakistani. Indian was also more of a masala film that didn't quite get the international attention which Lagaan has.
  
  
• From: WhyNot (@ 203.24.100.133) on: Mon Nov 5 02:47:32 EST 2001
  
  Well kk, u could be right. I haven't watched Lagaan, but have heard of the hype it attracted overseas like never before for an Indian movie.
  Interestingly, unlike Hey Ram where the songs were pruned before being sent to the Oscars selection committee, this time, the songs are likely to be kept intact to promote a real Indian movie. Hope ARR's songs don't work against Lagaan's Oscar chances. The issue is all about timing. It seems when being viewed for selection, most movies are shut down after 20 minutes. And Lagaan stretches 3 hours and 40 minutes. The question is, will the committee be able to bear 220 minutes, even with ARR's music?
  
  
• From: :-) (@ 128.107.253.39) on: Mon Nov 5 04:23:47 EST 2001
  
  >>Even with ARR's music ???<<
  
  funny...
  
  
• From: yaaro (@ 195.93.33.178) on: Mon Nov 5 07:02:35 EST 2001
  
  The movie is about cricket-will they be able to identify with that game?
  another thing-Rahman's 'wcm' composition for the film-that is not at all impressive compared to the stuff westerners make.
  length-I think Amir khan is silly to send a movie running into almost 4 hrs.
  
  
• From: tellme (@ 24.178.147.172) on: Tue Nov 6 00:45:22 EST 2001
  
  lagaan oscar good joke......
  what is there in lagan to get a oscar....
  music?---what is there in the music...we don't even know from where did he copy the tunes.....
  
  oscar have some ruputations...
  
  
  
• From: WhyNot (@ 203.24.100.137) on: Tue Nov 6 01:33:13 EST 2001
  
  Dear tellme, if u don't know where he copied the tunes from, then how do u know he even copied.
  Even if Lagaan doesn't strike an oscar, blaming ARR is equivalent to blaming IR for Hey Ram's failure to get an Oscar. THis topic is not about whether Lagaan's success/failure is due to ARR. It is simply about whether the possibility of Lagaan getting an Oscar is likely, and if so, what the future holds for ARR then.
  So please keep ur snide remarks to yourself!
  
  
• From: :-) (@ 128.107.253.39) on: Tue Nov 6 03:58:22 EST 2001
  
  but then why did u throw a vague stmt like >>even with arr's music<<
  
  
• From: Cheenu (@ 203.199.205.25) on: Tue Nov 6 04:39:55 EST 2001
  
  >>Dear tellme, if u don't know where he copied the tunes from, then how do u know he even copied.
  
  Mr TELLME JUST WENT BY ARR's REPUTATION OF COPYING.
  
  >>It is simply about whether the possibility of Lagaan getting an Oscar is likely, and if so, what the future holds for ARR then.
  
  ARR's CAREER GRAPH IS PLUGING LIKE A CRIUSE MISSILE. I DON"T KNOW WHWRE IT WILL HIT.
  
  GOD SAVE OSCAR AARD JURY!
  
  
• From: WhyNot (@ 203.24.100.131) on: Tue Nov 6 06:34:53 EST 2001
  
  >>even with arr's music<<
  What does tat have anything to do wit ARR copying?
  I made tat statement bcos I feel he has the ability to create good music which people from all spectrums of life can appreciate, as when compared wit other Tamil MDs. The reason, why he became so popular in the North so early in his career, unlike any other Tfm MDs before. And Lagaan music would hold better chances of being appreciated by anyone than say, Hey Ram music.
  
  And whether ARR's career path is downwards or not, it looks like there sure are some sourgrapes out there waiting and waiting for the moment to come. Well, happy waiting to those sourgrapes. Coz u'll be waiting for a long time. If ARR's career falls, the worst it can come down to is the same level as any other tfm MD. ARR's worst performances still remain a head better that other MDs' best in tfm. And this is not a baseless statement, but is based on record sales and the amt of $ companies are willing to pay for ARR's music.
  
  
• From: Fliflo (@ 130.203.164.97) on: Tue Nov 6 07:52:54 EST 2001
  
  Nomination isn't a big deal...achieving is but. Lagaan was a good movie..There is a lesser possibility for Lagaan can win an oscar for the following reasons;
  
  1. It is an anti-english sentiment and how well a foreigner wud receive it?
  
  2. Lagaan music was good but not sensational...
  
  3. Lagaan was nominated probably by a popular vote. I do not know what were the competing movies..
  
  
  
  
• From: WhyNot (@ 203.24.100.137) on: Tue Nov 6 08:11:57 EST 2001
  
  This is strange..I heard on Sun News that Monsoon Wedding is being sent in for the Oscars. But I heard earlier from Sify Movies (http://movies.sify.com/cgi-bin/sifymovies/movies/content/movies_homepage.jsp) that it's Lagaan. Sify Movies probably made a big mistake, bcos they have since removed all their earlier News Articles about Lagaan being sent in for Oscars from the main page, which was up till about an hour ago. So that might make this thread not applicable.
  But here's a long-winded link to the article anyways: http://movies.sify.com/cgi-bin/sifymovies/movies/content/movies_fullstory.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1544431755.1005088459@@@@&BV_EngineID=cadcchcljglhbemgcfkmcgedng.0&content_oid=8494424&category_oid=-21344
  Hope that works.
  
  Or try this one:http://movies.sify.com/cgi-bin/sifymovies/movies/content/movies_homepage.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1544431755.1005088459@@@@&BV_EngineID=cadcchcljglhbemgcfkmcgedng.0&category_oid=-21344&langcode=-21344&catName=Bollywood
  
  Does anyone here know for sure?
  
  
• From: WhyNot (@ 203.24.100.132) on: Tue Nov 6 11:01:12 EST 2001
  
  Here's another article that confirms Lagaan's choice as India's entry for Oscars.
  http://filmfare.indiatimes.com/cyberscoop/index1.htm
  
  
• From: yaaro (@ 195.93.34.163) on: Tue Nov 6 15:28:54 EST 2001
  
  //1. It is an anti-english sentiment and how well a foreigner wud receive it? //
  
  you cannot beat gandhi for above criteria yet it won a couple of oscars...
  
  
• From: y ?? (@ 148.87.1.170) on: Tue Nov 6 16:25:42 EST 2001
  
  I read someone comparing lagaan to hollywood movies. FYI, it's going as a foreign nomination and that in itself precludes any comparison to a hollywood movie. was 'life is beautiful' like any other hollywood movie?
  
  Also, besides the pluses in a movie ( which I think lagaan has in plenty), what matters more to win an oscar is the extent of lobbying that goes on. Here, the distribution company has a large role to play. Hope Gowariker and Amir Khan catch the right guys and do enuf. lobbying. Force the 5000 jurors to 'see' the movie and make them rate it well. If this happens, lagaan stands a VERY good chance of making it.
  
  
• From: Fliflo (@ 146.186.113.254) on: Tue Nov 6 17:43:23 EST 2001
  
  
  Don't forget to remember that Gandhi was a roled by a smart whiteman and the movie was directed according to their perception. Ultimately who won Oscar was Ben Kingsley, who has some indian connection (who is an anglo indian whose real name is Krishna Banji). For that matter, I suspect whether real Gandhi was facilitated with any such great awards. I remember that there was a consoling rumor that he should have been..By the by, I would have more convinced if any Indian (supporting) actors such as Nehru or Jinnah has won in the movie or Kasturba..Giving oscar to Gandhi did fail to make feel high as the story and character of Gandhi was proved beyond doubts.. I remember Chettiyar's real Gandhi movie shown during school days. Chettiyar, despite poor technical facilities, had done a rather amazing job..It wud be a great mistake from Govt. of India's part if it had brushed aside Chettiyar as this great man who spent money, time and thoughts just for the sake of mere patriotism. Had he thought about making profits out of this film?
  
  Please don't fly high by comparing Lagaan and Gandhi..Lagaan is definitely a good movie..But whether it "satisfies" all the basic requirements to get a place in the Oscar chart, Well..only time has the answer..Let's wait with fingers crossed..
  
  
• From: R (@ 172.129.196.99) on: Tue Nov 6 22:19:23 EST 2001
  
  if ppl in the oscar jury can fall prey to ordinary stuff like erin brockovich and award it too,then gowariker and company can atleast make it to the nomination stage with some good promotion ...
  
  

---

List all pages of this thread

Post comments