Shoojit Sircar On Sardar Udham Not Being India's Oscar Entry: I Respect The Jury And Their Decision

Vicky Kaushal-starrer Sardar Udham was one of the contenders amongst the films which had been shortlisted for India's official entry to Oscars 2022. However the Shoojit Sircar directorial failed to make the cut and lost the battle to the Tamil film Koozhangal.

Later, a jury member Indraadip Dasgupta explained the reason behind the same and said that Sardar Udham wasn't selected because the film projects Indians' hatred towards the British. This didn't go down well with many including fans of Vicky who expressed their displeasure on various social media platforms.

During a round table interaction with the media post Sardar Udham's release, Shoojit Sircar reacted to the jury's decision of not sending his film as India's Oscar entry and called it 'very subjective'. He added that he respects the jury and their decision.

The filmmaker said, "It is a personal opinion, it is very subjective, I have no comment on that. I respect the jury and their decision. The film that was finally selected, I know about it, and I am glad that it was chosen. I go by the jury's decision."

Earlier, Dasgupta had told ETimes, "Sardar Udham is a little lengthy and harps on the Jallianwala Bagh incident. It is an honest effort to make a lavish film on an unsung hero of the Indian freedom struggle. But in the process, it again projects our hatred towards the British. In this era of globalisation, it is not fair to hold on to this hatred."

Another jury member Sumit Basu had also opened up on this decision and said, "Many have loved Sardar Udham for its cinematic quality including camerawork, editing, sound design and depiction of the period. I thought the length of the film was an issue. It has a delayed climax. It takes a lot of time for a viewer to feel the real pain for the martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre."

Helmed by Shoojit Sircar, Sardar Udham stars Vicky Kaushal as Udham Singh, a revolutionary freedom fighter who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in London to avenge the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar. The film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.