It has been confirmed that Anurag Basu’s Barfi! is out of the race for next year’s Academy Awards. Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D’Cruz, Barfi! was well appreciated when it released in September and collected over RS. 100 crores at the global box office. The film’s overall critical and commercial success contributed towards The Film Federation of India selecting it as India’s official entry to the Oscars for the Best Foreign Language Film Award.
According to TOI, trade analysts and a number of critics felt that Barfi! was an inappropriate choice for the Oscars. This is especially since the film has been subjected to plagiarism allegations post its release. Many felt that a film like Kahaani for example would have been more suitable to compete with other foreign films under this particular Oscar category.
Let’s hope that India eventually wins a Best Foreign Language Film Award, especially since it has been fighting for it for over fifty years!
