A still from the movie The Lunchbox
New Delhi:
The Film Federation of India, theapex body that decides Indian entry for the Oscars, and TheLunchbox director Ritesh Batra were today locked in a wordyduel over the selection of The Good Road for the bestforeign film category.
In a strongly worded letter to Ritesh Batra, which has also beenmarked to Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, Kashyap and UTV,FFI secretary general Supran Sen demanded an unconditionalapology from the Director for his "unsavoury comments" againstthe Federation and its appointed jury.
Replying to Sen's letter, Batra pointed out that only he,a first-time filmmaker, was asked to apologise despite manyindustry stalwarts raising their voice against the selection.He, however, offerd an apology.
"If an apology is what you demand, you have it. Both youand the jury have my wholehearted apology. There was no intentto hurt anyone, but rather to participate in the vigorousdebate that this decision ignited in the public domain.
"Sir, please use your good offices to give us atransparent, objective process with a public and not a secretjury. It is a direct and humble request, not a criticism,"Batra said in the reply.
Batra, producer Anurag Kashyap and presenter Karan Joharhad expressed their disappointment at the selection of GyanCorrea's Gujarati-language film as India's Oscar entry lastmonth, alleging lack of transparency in the selection."Congrats to The Good Road, hope it makes it all the way,else it will be a lost chance by FFI apptd jury that lacksvision. Hope I am wrong (sic)," Batra had tweeted soon afterThe Good Road's announcement as Oscar entry.
Taking exception to their remarks, Sen, in a letter,threatened to take the matter with the Academy and the I&B ministry."Film Federation of India takes great umbrage at the wayyou have gone about demeaning a film when an eminent jury hasselected it as India's entry. You might not agree with theselection, that's your prerogative. But to continuously andrecklessly make comments and innuendos about it is really notdone," Sen wrote in the letter.
The Lunchbox created a great buzz in festivals likeCannes, Telluride and Toronto. With Sony Pictures Classicsbuying its US rights, the makers had contended that it had abetter shot at winning the foreign film Oscar.
In a strongly worded letter to Ritesh Batra, which has also beenmarked to Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, Kashyap and UTV,FFI secretary general Supran Sen demanded an unconditionalapology from the Director for his "unsavoury comments" againstthe Federation and its appointed jury.
Replying to Sen's letter, Batra pointed out that only he,a first-time filmmaker, was asked to apologise despite manyindustry stalwarts raising their voice against the selection.He, however, offerd an apology.
"If an apology is what you demand, you have it. Both youand the jury have my wholehearted apology. There was no intentto hurt anyone, but rather to participate in the vigorousdebate that this decision ignited in the public domain.
"Sir, please use your good offices to give us atransparent, objective process with a public and not a secretjury. It is a direct and humble request, not a criticism,"Batra said in the reply.
Batra, producer Anurag Kashyap and presenter Karan Joharhad expressed their disappointment at the selection of GyanCorrea's Gujarati-language film as India's Oscar entry lastmonth, alleging lack of transparency in the selection."Congrats to The Good Road, hope it makes it all the way,else it will be a lost chance by FFI apptd jury that lacksvision. Hope I am wrong (sic)," Batra had tweeted soon afterThe Good Road's announcement as Oscar entry.
Taking exception to their remarks, Sen, in a letter,threatened to take the matter with the Academy and the I&B ministry."Film Federation of India takes great umbrage at the wayyou have gone about demeaning a film when an eminent jury hasselected it as India's entry. You might not agree with theselection, that's your prerogative. But to continuously andrecklessly make comments and innuendos about it is really notdone," Sen wrote in the letter.
The Lunchbox created a great buzz in festivals likeCannes, Telluride and Toronto. With Sony Pictures Classicsbuying its US rights, the makers had contended that it had abetter shot at winning the foreign film Oscar.
