Jai Bhim and Marakkar makes to Oscar 2022 list
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Two Indian films, Jai Bhim starring Surya and Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham starring Mohanlal, have been officially included to the long list of Oscar contenders for 2022.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which oversees the Academy Prizes (commonly known as the Oscars), announced the list of 276 films eligible for the awards this year on Thursday night.
The only two Indian feature films on the list are the Tamil drama Jai Bhim and the Malayalam action-adventure flick Marakkar.
According to sources, voting for the 94th Academy Awards nominees would begin on January 27 and finish later that week. On February 8, the final nominees in each category will be announced. On March 27, the award presentation will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
According to Variety, the number of films eligible for the Oscars is down from previous year, when 366 titles made the cut. Because of the epidemic, the Academy extended the eligibility period to the end of February. As a result, this year’s qualifying period runs from March 1 through December 31, 2021.
Jai Bhim’s production firm greeted the selection with a tweet regarding the film’s Oscar aspirations. “Into the #Oscars race! #JaiBhim makes it into the 276 films shortlisted by @TheAcademy for the 94th Academy Award nominations”, said the official tweet from 2D Entertainment. Last Monday, one of the film’s moments was included to the Oscars archive, marking it the first time a Tamil film had done so.
Jai Bhim is a judicial drama based on a true story from 1993 in which Justice K Chandru defended a lawsuit. Suriya stars in the highly praised film alongside Lijomol Jose, Manikandan, and Prakash Raj.
Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham (Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea) is a Malayalam period war film based on the achievements of the fourth Kunjali Marakkar, the admiral of the Zamorin navy in the 16th century. At the 67th National Awards last year, the film received three National Awards, including Best Feature Film.
