Gujarati film 'The Good Road' India's entry for Oscar

Debut feature filmmaker Gyan Correa's Gujarati film "The Good Road" has been chosen to represent India in the best foreign film category at the Academy Awards.

It is said to be the first Gujarati film to have made it.

"It was a unanimous decision to select 'The Good Road', which is a movie produced by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC)," renowned filmmaker Goutam Ghose, who headed the selection committee appointed by the Film Federation of India (FFI), told IANS.

The story of three individuals on a highway, "The Good Road", widely shot in Kutch district in Gujarat, had clinched the National Award for Best Feature Film (Gujarati) earlier this year. It features actors like Sonali Kulkarni and Ajay Gehi.

The movie left behind 21 other contenders, including strong films like "The Lunchbox", "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", "English Vinglish", "Vishwaroopam", Malayalam film "Celluloid" and Bengali film "Shabdo", he said.

"'The Lunchbox' was a very strong contender. I loved the film," said Ghose.

A committee of 16 people was appointed to make the selection.

Irrfan-starrer "The Lunchbox", which released Friday, was said to be a frontrunner for the Oscar, but the movie couldn't make it.

So far in the history of Indian cinema, only three Bollywood films, including Mehboob Khan's "Mother India" (1957), Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay" (1988) and Ashutosh Gowariker's "Lagaan" (2001), have made it to the nomination stage of the Oscar.


Last year, Anurag Basu's "Barfi!", featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D'Cruz was sent as a contender. But it failed to make it to the top five.

The Oscar ceremony will take place in March 2014.

INDIA'S OSCAR ENTRY 'THE GOOD ROAD': 10 UNKNOWN FACTS

New Delhi: Debut feature filmmaker Gyan Correa's 'The Good Road' will represent India at the Oscars this year. The film was picked by a committee appointed by the Film Federation of India (FFI), which was led by celebrated Bengali filmmaker Gautam Ghose. Here is a list of 10 unknown facts about the film:

1. The film is written and directed by Gyan Correa, and it features Sonali Kulkarni and Ajay Gehi in the lead roles.

2. Gyan Correa travelled a lot inside India, researching the lifestyle followed near the highways before staring the film.

3. The film is a collage of several stories which are entwined together by a common premise, a highway.

4. Noted music director Rajat Dholakia has composed the music for 'The Good Road'.

5. Academy Award winner Resul Pookutty is the man behind the sound designing of 'The Good Road'.

6. Paresh Kamdar is the editor of the film. He has earlier directed critically acclaimed films like 'Khargosh' and 'Tunnu Ki Tina'.

7. The film won a National Award this year as Best Feature Film (Gujarati). The last Gujarati film to receive a national award was Upendra Patel's Manvi Ni Bhavai in 1994.

8. 'The Good Road' is financed and supported by the National Film Development Corp, NFDC. 9. This is 42-year-old Gyan Correa's debut feature film.

10. Amitabha Singh, who has shot films like 'Chillar Party' and 'Khosla Ka Ghosla' in the past, has done the cinematography for 'The Good Road'.