Another southern movie is all set to compete in the race for the Oscars. Malayalam film “2018 – Everyone is a Hero” is India official entry for the Oscars. Film has been chosen as India’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film category at the upcoming 96th Academy Awards. The 96th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 10, 2024 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles.
“2018 – Everyone is a Hero”, is a survival drama about the floods that devastated Kerala. This movie was directed by Jude Anthony Joseph, starring: Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Narain and Lal. Film released in May, 2023 and is both a critical and box office hit. Movie has hits records as highest earning Malayalam film of all time and one of Indian cinema's top earners this year. ‘2018’ delves into the harrowing story of the severe floods that ravaged Kerala in August 2018, considered to be the worst flood the state had faced in a century. The disaster claimed over 400 lives and displaced nearly a million people.
According to reports, several screenings of the movies under consideration have taken place in Chennai for the Oscar Committee in the last few days. The final selection list for Oscars 2024 was announced on September 27, 2023. Revealing the details of Oscars Awards nomination, Filmmaker and chairman of the 16-member selection committee Girish Kasaravalli said that the Malayalam movie had been picked for its theme of the effects of climate change. As many as 22 films including Telugu cinema “Balagam”, most sensational political film “The Kerala Story”, “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani”, “Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway”, Marathi films “Vaalvi” & “Baaplyok” and Tamil cinema “August 16, 1947”were considered.
“2018” movie will compete for the Best International Feature Film Oscar, a category that was previously titled Best Foreign Film. No Indian entry has been nominated for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars since “Lagaan” in 2002. Only two other films have previously made it to final five “Mother India”, starring Nargis, and Mira Nair's “Salaam Bombay”.
India's official entry for the Oscars last year was “Chhello Show”, which didn't make the nominees slate. However, it was a landmark year for Indian cinema with “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR” winning Best Original Song and “The Elephant Whisperers” winning Best Documentary Short Subject. Film maker Shaunak Sen's “All That Breathes” was nominated for Best Documentary Feature but didn't win.
So far, India movies - Chhello Show (2022), Koozhangal (2021), Jallikattu (2020), Gully Boy (2019), Village Rock stars (2018), Newton (2017) and Visaranai (2016) were sent as entries, but not nominated for academy awards.
The very first Indian winner of an Oscar was Bhanu Athaiya who won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for her work in “Gandhi” movie. Legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray received a Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 1992. In 2009, “Slum dog Millionaire” won several awards, among the Best Original Song for Jai Ho, Best Original Score for AR Rehman, and Best Sound Mixing for Rasul Pookutty.
South Dhamaka, as Tollywood Blockbuster “RRR” created history in film industry last year, now Malluwood Blockbuster “2018 - Everyone is a Hero” movie is also expected to win an Oscar in 2024.
