Courtesy:
Glamsham
Tuesday,
September
25,
2007
Eklavya
-
The
Royal
Guard,
has
been
voted
as
India's
official
entry
to
the
Oscars.
This
is
the
third
time
Director
Vidhu
Vinod
Chopra
will
be
going
to
the
Academy
of
Motion
Picture
Arts
and
Sciences.
His
short
non-fiction
film,
AN
ENCOUNTER
WITH
FACES
was
one
of
the
first
Indian
films
to
be
nominated
for
an
Oscar
in
1980.
In
1989,
Parinda
was
sent
to
the
Oscars
as
India's
official
entry.
Commenting
on
this
news,
Director
Vidhu
Vinod
Chopra
said,
"I'm
elated
by
the
news.
But
this
was
only
the
first
battle.
The
real
one
is
still
ahead.
I'm
leaving
for
the
US
on
2nd
October
and
will
start
my
groundwork
there.
I'm
banking
on
my
previous
experiences
at
the
Academy
and
the
overwhelming
support
the
film
has
received
in
the
West.
I
hope
to
make
India
proud."
Eklavya
-
The
Royal
Guard
has
already
received
accolades
in
Hollywood.
The
film
got
a
standing
ovation
at
the
Billy
Wilder
Theater
in
UCLA,
where
it
was
recently
screened
as
part
of
the
India
Splendour
Film
Festival.
Robert
L.
Friedman,
the
former
President
of
Columbia
Pictures
and
AMC
Theaters
applauded
it
as
one
of
the
great
foreign
films
to
have
graced
Hollywood
in
recent
years.
He
further
added,
"The
caring
and
most
talented
direction
by
Vidhu
Vinod
Chopra
is
worthy
of
maximum
praise
and
awards.
Mr.
Chopra
has
created
a
masterpiece
via
this
film,
thanks
to
his
genuine
insight
and
love
for
his
film
vehicle.
EKLAVYA
is
a
movie
that
transcends
all
geographical
boundaries
-
a
movie
for
all
people,
everywhere,
it
represents
the
very
best
that
India's
great
filmmaking
community
has
to
offer."
Lionel
Wigram,
Producer
of
the
HARRY
POTTER
films,
said
"It's
a
masterpiece
and
I
can
safely
say
that
it
stands
an
excellent
chance
of
winning
India
a
much
awaited
Oscar
in
the
foreign
film
category." Jeffery
Silver,
Producer
of
the
film
300,
found
it
to
be
"a
thriller
that
elevates
to
the
level
of
art."
The
critics
have
also
been
unanimous
in
their
praise:
Something
about
"Eklavya:
The
Royal
Guard" suggests
a
lost
film
by
David
Lean.
-
LA
Times
"...Gives
any
House
of
Flying
Daggers
set
piece
a
run
for
its
money."
-
Metro,
UK
"Vidhu
Vinod
Chopra
is
a
poet
on
celluloid"
-
Times
of
India
"Far
from
typical.
Very
strong
and
very
Shakespearean"
-
The
Sunday
Telegraph,
UK
"Robustly
unassuming
and
entertaining"
-
Guardian,
UK
"This
is
robust
storytelling,
with
blood
and
thunder
pumping
through
its
veins,
and
real
whiskers
on
its
face."
-
LA
Weekly
"Vidhu
Vinod
Chopra's
propulsive
'Eklavya
-
The
Royal
Guard'
has
epic
sweep."
-
LA
Times