Mumbai, Sept 28: After 'Lagaan', the Indian movie which came close to win the coveted golden statue - the Oscars - and the much-hyped 'Devdaas' last year, no entry will be sent this year from India as no film was found "capable" to compete at the biggest film awards of world cinema. The Film Federation of India (FFI) has decided not to send any film for the prestigious awards as they could not find a "single film" that is "capable" to compete at the Oscars.
The decision in this regard was taken by the 12-member selection jury yesterday after long discussions, film producer Harmesh Malhotra, who heads the jury this year, told here today.
The selection committee recommended only six films for Oscar nominations, he said "but not a single film is capable of competing at the Oscars."
From the past experience, "instead of getting humiliated by sending films that do not comply to the standards of the west, it is better not to send any," he said.
Newly elected president of Indian Motion Pictures Association (IMPA) Sawankumar Tak said the Indian film industry has already gone into doldrums with the decreasing standards.
The experiences of `Lagaan' and `Devdas' have made the Indian film fraternity realise their place in the international forum, he added.
Association of Motion Pictures and TV Programme Producers president Pahlaj Nihlani said "it is better to have a no show in the Oscars rather than a poor show." Bureau Report