Liar's Dice may be a good film, but FFI gets no love from film industry

It seems Film Federation of India just can’t win. Days after it announced Geetu Mohandas’s Liar’s Dice as the Indian submission for the category of Best Foreign Film at next year’s Oscars, there are rumbles of discontent from within the industry. Last year, the industry was up in arms when The Good Road was selected. Although no one is questioning Liar Dice’s credentials as a good film, there are questions being raised about the selection process. Some claim to be be stumped by the way the film was “pushed” for eligibility. [caption id=“attachment_1729423” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Courtesy: Facebook[/caption] It appears that just days before the FFI’s announcement, the film was released in Thiruvananthapuram, thus making it to eligible for selection since no unreleased film can be sent to the Oscars. Director Hansal Mehta, whose Shahid and Citylights were reportedly strong contenders, said, “I want to trust the process and the people initiating the process of India’s entry into the Oscars. Unfortunately, recent history and the shroud of secrecy surrounding the selection make me doubtful about the selection and its criteria. If Liar’s Dice had a legitimate wide release then I’d be happy for the film. It’s a wonderful film made by some terrific people. I congratulate their team and wish them success.” Producer Nilesh Navlakha, whose Marathi film Fandry was also a strong contender, is far more blunt. “While I’d like to congratulate the team of Liar’s Dice I can’t help wondering how a film that has not been properly released for commercial screening could be selected!" he said. “I’ve heard that it’s released in one centre in Kerala on 19 September. This kind of rushed release cannot be just a coincidence. It’s highly suspicious and the Film Federation Of India needs to come clear.” Navlakha didn’t mince his words when complaining about the lack of transparency. “Selection for the Oscars is representational of the collective country and not the prerogative of any film body,” he said. “Credibility and transparency are essential factors in the selection for such an important international event where all eyes would be on Indian cinema. This kind of cautious selection process seems to be missing here.” It is, however, worth noting that film awards are not known for transparency anywhere in the world. For instance, the Oscars themselves are a rather secretive affair and not as simple as members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences voting for films they have liked. There’s a lot of wooing and campaigning the precedes the actual voting and many in Hollywood have demanded the Oscars reveal the vote counts that decide nominations. Not everybody in the Indian film industry is disgruntled, however. Director Ajay Bahl, who made BA Pass, says he is a fan of Geetanjali Thapa, who played the lead in Liar’s Dice and won a National Award for her performance. “Liar’s Dice is a cinematic treat,” said Bahl. “It tells a humane story with a universal appeal and features tour de force performances by Geetanjali Thapa and Nawazuddin.” Regarding Mehta and Navlakha’s demands for transparency, Bahl said, “I don’t agree because transparency will only lead to lobbying. As for Liar’s Dice not getting a proper commercial release, I think a film needs to be selected on merit and not the volume of release. In fact, why does a film need to be released to be eligible for an Oscar entry as long as it’s produced on time?” There’s something to be said for Bahl’s point that commercial release should not be a criteria, given the stranglehold that mainstream film has over theatres. For independent films, going up against the publicity machine and financial power of Tamil, Hindi and Telugu blockbusters is a tough ask. Even when they do manage this, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the film gets noticed, as director Rajat Kapoor, who directed the luminous Aankhon Dekhi, knows very well. Aankhon Dekhi did have a commercial release but, despite getting good reviews, barely made an impact. The film was a contender for the Oscar selection according to reports. When Liar’s Dice was announced, Kapoor tweeted this:

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  Of course, for all the conversations that the FFI may spark with its selections in India, it doesn’t change how this selection is one very small step in the climb towards getting an actual Oscar nomination and then winning it.