Auto-rickshaw
driver
M
Chandra
Kumar,
on
whose
novel
Lock
Up
the
National
Award-winning
Tamil
drama
Visaranai
is
based,
feels
his
story
of
the
defenceless
deserves
worldwide
recognition.
The
Film
Federation
of
India
named
Visaranai
as
India's
official
pick
for
the
2017
Oscars
in
the
Foreign
Language
film
category.
"I'm
filled
with
joy
and
pride.
This
honour
has
brought
glory
to
my
status
as
an
auto
driver
in
the
society.
This
story
of
the
defenceless
deserves
worldwide
recognition," Kumar
told
IANS.
He
says
the
film's
producer
Dhanush
and
director
Vetrimaaran
deserve
all
the
credit.
"It
is
through
the
efforts
of
Dhanush
and
Vetrimaaran
this
story
was
widely
appreciated.
The
film,
I'm
told,
still
hasn't
yet
reached
its
destination,
with
two
more
rounds
to
go.
We
have
a
long
way
to
go," he
said.
When
asked
if
he
anticipated
such
an
honour,
Kumar
said:
"I'm
not
surprised.
I
strongly
feel
'Visaranai'
is
an
Oscar
deserving
film."
The
film
is
about
an
organised
crime
within
police
force.
It
also
throws
the
spotlight
on
police
brutality.
Visaranai,
which
features
Dinesh,
Samuthirakani,
Ajay
Ghosh
and
Kishore
in
the
lead,
is
the
ninth
Tamil
film
to
have
been
chosen
as
India's
Oscar
entry.
Kamal
Hassan's
Hey
Ram
was
the
last
film
in
the
language.
Visaranai
earned
critical
acclaim
earlier
last
year
when
it
had
its
world
premiere
at
Venice
International
Film
Festival,
apart
from
winning
National
Awards
this
year.
Also
Read:
Lakshmy
Ramakrishnan's
'Ammani'
To
Finally
Release
On
October
14