Aamir Khan opened up about his opinion on why films of Indian origin fail to be nominated in the Oscars’ Best International Feature category. Recently, Aamir sat for a chat with BBC Asian Network, where he was asked if he agreed with Shah Rukh Khan’s response to why Indian films are not nominated for Oscars. Aamir disagreed and shared his take on the matter.
Aamir Khan shares that being nominated at the Oscars is a big achievement
Aamir Khan revealed the Oscar nomination process and shared that it is one of the toughest categories for nomination at the Oscars. He shared that in the Best Film category, a film is compared with a limited number of films, but in the Best International Feature Film category, a film is fighting among the best of all countries. He added that it is a difficult selection and being nominated alone is a huge achievement. For the unversed, Laapataa Ladies became India’s first nomination after Aamir’s 2001 blockbuster, Lagaan’s nomination at the Oscars in the Best International Feature Film category. He shared:
“In the Best International Feature category, you’re actually competing with the best film from each country. And then you’re in an arena where there are 80 other films. And to be nominated among 80 films is itself tough. The reason why we don’t have nominations every year for India is because there are films from Iran, Germany, France, from all over the world which are very good films. You’re in very good company. To get nominated is a huge deal.”
Shah Rukh Khan’s opinion on Indian films and Oscar nominations
In the same interview, Shah Rukh Khan’s reasoning behind why Indian films fail to make the Oscar nominations was shared. Shah Rukh Khan, in an old interview, shared that Lagaan was a beautiful merger between art and commercial film. SRK had called the film wonderfully made and mentioned that Indian films would need to change their format if they wished to receive a nomination. He was quoted as:
“If I’m invited to your party, I need to dress up in the code you tell me to. I cannot be wearing my code of two and a half hours and five songs. We have to change that.”
Aamir Khan disagreed with Shah Rukh Khan’s opinion on Oscar nominations
Aamir Khan responded to Shah Rukh Khan’s statement and shared that he disagreed with the latter. He revealed that Lagaan was a three-hour forty-two-minute long film, yet it got nominated. Aamir added to be nominated for an Oscar, the members of the nominating board need to love the film unanimously. He added:
“Lagaan proves that a film with songs, which is also very long, is not a problem for the Academy members. According to me, it depends on how good your work is, and how you’re able to touch hearts. Members are also human beings at the end of the day. You have to accept that other countries are also making equally good films.”
Indian Oscar nominations
In the history of the Indian film industry, only three films have ever made it to the nominations list of the Best International Feature Film category. These films included Mother India, Salaam Bombay, and Lagaan. And now there is a new entry to the list with an Oscar 2025 nomination for the Best International Feature Film category: Laapataa Ladies. Recently, RRR was awarded the Best Original Song award, and Elephant Whisperers scored the Best Short Documentary award. Writing with Fire and All that Breathes were nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category.
What are your thoughts on Aamir Khan’s opinion on Oscar Nominations? Let us know.
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