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Sardar Udham Not Sent As India's Official Entry To Oscars; Jury Member Says The Film ‘Projects Our Hatred Towards The British’, Invites Netizens' Wrath

The Shoojit Sircar directorial, Sardar Udham narrates the story of revolutionary Sardar Udham Singh, played by Vicky Kaushal.

Shreejit Shelar

Tue Oct 26 2021, 18:41:14 21748 views
Tamil drama Koozhangal (Pebbles), directed by filmmaker Vinothraj PS, was recently announced as India's official entry for the 94th Academy Awards. The movie features newcomers Chellapandi and Karuththadaiyaan. A section of movie buffs was quite surprised when the Shoojit Sircar directorial, Sardar Udham did not make the cut.

Jury members have now explained why one of the most popular contenders - Sardar Udham - was not selected. Talking about it, Indraadip Dasgupta has said that the film ‘portrays our hatred towards the British’.

The movie is based on the life of revolutionary Sardar Udham Singh - played by Vicky Kaushal - a gallant and patriotic man who fought selflessly and courageously against the British subjugation of India. The film’s plot focusses on the assassination of Michael O’Dwyer, the lieutenant governor of Punjab at the time of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919.

Dasgupta, in an interaction with The Times Of India, elaborated why they didn't choose Vicky Kaushal's Sardar Udham for India's official entry to the Oscars. He asserted, “Sardar Udham is a little lengthy and harps on the Jallianwala Bagh incident.”


The jury member explained, “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 globalization, it is not fair to hold on to this hatred.”

“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,” another member of the jury, Sumit Basu, told Times Of India.

Meanwhile, the jury member's statements have attracted strong outrage from the netizens. One user said, “‘Not hold on to this hatred’? Of course we won’t, if you promise to not hold on to Kohinoor and the approximately $45 trillion that was robbed from India.”

Another user wrote, “Suppression of the Truth! As always!”. A user further added, “Isn't it casting reality. What if it was a movie on World War 1 or 2 ...you would reject it because it depicts the reality of Hitler's Germany?”





















One user also wrote, "Whether Sardar Udham deserves an entry or not is a different question, but to dismiss on such grounds displays nothing but racism and power dynamics. Globalisation doesn't mean we cannot raise our voices against historical injustice anymore. So many sociopolitical movements around the world would cease to exist then. I guess "globalisation" hadn't been an issue when Lagaan and Rang De Basanti were nominated."

Speaking about the 94th Academy Awards, the ceremony will honour the best films that have been released since March 1, 2021. The official ceremony will take place at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California on March 27, 2022.

Image Source: Instagram/vickykaushal09

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