By: Mohnish Singh
Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, who never shies away from sharing her opinion on any trending issue, has applauded the decision to choose the successful Malayalam film Jallikattu (2019) as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 93rd Academy Awards.
The three-time National Film Award-winning actress credited it to the scrutiny that the Bollywood mafia has been subjected to over the past few months and suggested that they failed to influence the decision through lobbying.
“All the scrutiny/bashing Bullydawood gang got is finally yielding some results. Indian films aren’t just about 4 film families. Movie mafia gang is hiding in their houses and letting juries do their job, and congratulations team Jallikattu,” Ranaut wrote on Twitter.
Directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, Jallikattu is an independent Malayalam film based on a short story written by Hareesh, titled Maoist. The film stars Antony Varghese, Chemban Vinod Jose, Sabumon Abdusamad, and Santhy Balachandran in important roles.
Jallikattu premiered on 6 September 2019 at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and garnered widespread critical acclaim. In India, it entered theatres on 4th October, 2019, and went on to perform exceptionally well, impressing critics and audiences alike.
After a glorious box-office run in India, the film has now been selected as the Indian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards from among 27 other films, becoming the third Malayalam film after Guru (1997) and Adaminte Makan Abu (2011) to achieve the feat.
Lijo Jose Pellissery, who has previously helmed such critically-acclaimed films as Angamaly Diaries (2017) and Ea Ma Yau (2018), told PTI, “Extremely happy to know that Jallikattu gained entry in the Oscar. This is a moment of happiness for all those who raced for the film.”
Keep visiting this space for more updates from the world of entertainment.
