RDB Best Foreign Film in Sydney
Friday,
October
13,
2006
New
Delhi
(UNI):
The
accolades
for
Rang
De
Basanti
continue!
After
being
chosen
the
Indian
entry
in
the
Best
Foreign
Film
category
at
the
Oscars
and
subsequently
being
sent
in
seven
other
mainline
Oscar
categories,
Rakeysh
Mehra's
Rang
De
Basanti
has
now
bagged
the
Best
Film
award
at
the
Indian
film
festival
in
Sydney,
which
concluded
a
couple
of
days
ago.
Rang
De
Basanti
was
adjudged
the
best
film,
from
among
the
several
Indian
films
screened
during
the
fourth
edition
of
the
Indian
film
Festival
at
Sydney,
by
an
all
Australian
Jury,''
the
director
of
the
film
Rakeysh
Mehra
told
UNI
here.
In
doing
so,
'Rang
De
Basanti'
beat
other
contenders
including
Vishal
Bhardwaj's
Omkara,
Rajkumar
Hirani's
Lage
Raho
Munnabhai,
Rohan
Sippy's
Bluffmaster,
Apurva
Lakhia's
Ek
Ajnabee,
Homi
Adjunia's
Being
Cyrus
Priyadarshan's
Chup
Chup
Ke,
Karan
Johar's
Kabhi
Alvida
na
Kehna,
Kunal
Kohli's
Fanaa,
Jahnu
Barua's
Maine
Gandhi
Ko
Nahin
Mara
and
Aparna
Sen's
15
Park
Avenue,
Mehra
said.
Rakeysh Mehra, who returned from Sydney this morning after attending the film festival, which began on October 5, said the screening of Rang De Basanti at the event drew an overwhelming response.''What was heartening to note was the fact that most of the people among the jam packed hall screening the movie were Australians and not local Asians. Normally when an Indian film is screened at a film festival abroad, there are more Asians in the audience than locals,'' Mehra said.''The huge response to Rang De Basanti, as also others like Being Cyrus shows that Indian films are finally getting the eyeballs from people outside the Asian community settled abroad.This also means that films with universal theme and content like Omkara and Rang De Basanti are meeting with acceptance from people other than the Asians which is a matter of happiness for Indian cinema in that it signifies a greater potential for them in foreign countries,'' Mehra said.
Mehra said that Being Cyrus, starring Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia and Naseeruddin Shah evoked tremendous interest from among the Australians during its screening. Also, there was tremendous interest for retrospective of Yash Chopra films screened at the festival. ''The retrospective, which opened with the 70s classic Kabhie Kabhie, was keenly watched by local Australians,'' Mehra said. Mehra said the huge response from Australians to the screening of 'Rang De Basanti' has opened a non-traditional market like Australia for Bollywood film-makers. ''Traditionally, Bollywood films have been released in countries like United Kingdom, United States, Dubai and East Africa. However, the increasing interest level for Indian films in Australia meant that the country could serve as another potential market for Indian films,'' he said.
The lineup at the film festival included more than 20 films ranging from the commercially successful to the critically acclaimed. Says festival Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange,''In 2006 the festival featured the biggest range of Indian cinema we have ever presented - from the most mainstream commercially successful Hindi films to the most experimental and interesting films coming out of India at the moment. It is the most diverse and exciting showcase of Indian Cinema ever in Australia and I am very proud to present this exciting program to Australian audiences.'' Rang De Basanti was last month chosen by the Film Federation of India as India's nominee' for the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars. Subsequently, the producers UTV decided to enter the film for seven other mainline categories at the prestigious awards.
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