By:
Screen
Weekly,
IndiaFM
Monday,
October
09,
2006
As
Rang
De
Basanti
dashes
ahead
of
Lage
Raho
Munnabhai
to
be
India's
official
entry
at
the
Oscars,
Aamir
Khan
declares
that
he
would
put
his
previous
experience
of
promoting
home--production
Lagaan
in
the
foreign
film
category
at
the
Oscars
to
best
use.
The
big
'O'
night
is
a
good
six
months
away,
yet
Aamir&co.
are
already
gunning
for
the
coveted
statuette...
What's
the
first
image
that
comes
to
mind
when
someone
says
Rang
De
Basanti?
The
collective
response
of
the
Indian
audience
towards
the
film.
I
know
that
the
film
inspired
a
lot
of
people
who
now
want
to
come
forward
and
be
a
part
of
the
mainstream
socially.
What
was
your
reaction
when
you
heard
that
the
film
was
selected?
I
was
very
proud
that
Rang
De
Basanti
will
represent
India
on
an
international
forum.
How
important
is
an
Oscar
nomination
for
you,
since
you
are
so
disdainful
towards
the
film
awards
given
within
the
country?
As
an
actor,
my
primary
responsibility
is
to
get
the
response
from
the
audience
in
India,
since
the
film
is
made
primarily
for
them.
Then,
I'd
like
to
focus
on
getting
an
international
audience.
Next
comes
representing
the
film
on
international
platforms
and
festivals.
When
Lagaan
went
to
the
Oscars,
you
were
totally
involved
in
the
publicity
and
lobbying
strategies.
What
will
be
your
involvement
this
time?
Well,
I
think
director
Rakeysh
Mehra,
producer
Ronnie
Screwvala
and
the
entire
UTV
team
are
extremely
capable
of
getting
Rang
De
Basanti
noticed
internationally.
But
of
course,
I'll
be
guiding
and
advising
them
with
my
experiences.
This
is
not
limited
to
just
my
films
but
to
other
films
also,
just
as
long
as
I
believe
in
them.
Ashutosh
Gowariker
and
I
did
that
when
we
shared
our
experiences
with
the
Shwaas
team
two
years
ago.
The
buzz
is
that
there
was
a
battle
royal
between
Rang
De
Basanti
and
Lage
Raho
Munnabhai
for
this
particular
honour...
There
are
two
ways
of
looking
at
it.
Either
you
can
be
disappointed
that
this
time
we
had
two
brilliant
films
and
only
one
could
be
sent
or
we
can
be
happy
that
Indian
cinema
is
at
that
stage
where
we
actually
have
to
scratch
our
heads
to
think
of
which
film
to
send.
I
don't
know
whether
it
was
a
close
call
since
I
don't
have
any
information
about
the
committee
discussions.
Do
you
feel
vindicated
that
RDB
is
going
for
the
Oscar
even
though
the
National
Awards
jury
ignored
it?
Has
the
National
Awards
list
come
out
officially?
No,
na?
I
feel
that
when
we
constitute
a
jury,
we
should
not
interfere
with
their
decisions.
But
once
the
jury
announces
its
choices,
we
must
disclose
who
appointed
the
panel.
This
is
the
best
way
to
ensure
transparency.
What's
your
reaction
to
the
mass
movements
Rang
De
Basanti
has
inspired,
like
the
support
rallies
for
Jessica
Lall
and
anti-reservation
protests
by
medical
students?
I
think
the
film
has
definitely
touched
a
chord
in
people.
It
has
reminded
us
about
the
sacrifices
our
forefathers
made
so
that
we
could
enjoy
this
freedom.
It
tells
us
that
the
least
we
can
do
is
to
take
charge
so
that
we
can
be
a
part
of
the
solution
and
not
the
problem.