Oscar Race : Munnabhai V/s Rang De

My sister and I were browsing the Internet, reading through some sites, reading news and doing some comparative analysis on flat panel televisions. We came across this survey on one site (www.moneycontrol.com), which asked users to select their choice of Indian movie released this year that should enter the Oscars. The choices were:

1. Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna
2. Krrish
3. Omkara
4. Rang De Basanti
5. Lage Raho Munnabhai

Without any hesitation, I clicked on the 5th option and submitted my opinion. I felt there was nothing much to think about it and the choice was obvious. My sister, however, asked me why I had to hurry so much with the option. She wasn’t defying my choice but wanted to know why I selected Lage Raho Munnabhai. Here is what I told her.

I don’t think I need to explain why I would not vote for Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (KANK) and Krrish. People in the west have seen enough of such superheroes flying and there is nothing new that we are trying to show them through our creative skills or techniques. KANK is too much hyped anyway so let’s not talk about it either. SRK may be a hit abroad but that is surely not enough to sell KANK at the Oscars. Moreover, the movie has nothing but emotional turmoil of couples who fall in and out of love for unrealistic reasons. Omkara could have been a strong contender. However, the Indian version of Othello is too rash and loud, which I guess would fail to appeal the jury at the Oscars. Gandhiji (in Lage Raho Munnabhai) surely outcasts Othello (as in Omkara).

Yes, Rang De Basanti can be a consideration but I suppose that we just getting carried away with the patriotic spirit of it. While the movie is well made and charges up the youth of today, what I didn’t agree to was breaking the law (or taking law into your own hands, as they call it). The “be a rebel” message that movie subtly sent out was something I think inappropriate. Rang De and Munnbhai both deal with the present situation in our country but the presentation styles differ considerably. While one (Rang De…) shows that violence can put things in place, the other (Lage Raho…) portrays that things can change through peace and nonviolence too. Lage Raho Munnabhai represents the true spirit of our country, something with which we got independence. Peace and non violence - no matter how much we want to deny it, somewhere it has considerable contribution to our freedom struggle.

While thinking about Oscars we would want to look at the content, presentation and the message that movie sends and represents its origin (India in this case). I definitely feel that Lage Raho Munnabhai deserves a place in Oscars compared to other choices. I hope I was able to convince my sister and can get a lot of you agreeing to this point.

(Note – The views expressed in the above write-up are my personal opinions and in no way generalize the overall review of the what should be India’s official entry to Oscars or on the specific movies mentioned above)