Surya starrer Jai Bhim, directed by TJ Gnanavel, was highly anticipated to be shortlisted for the Oscars 2022. However, the film did not make it to final nominations. The buzz around the same rose ever since a tweet asked which Oscar nomination could provoke the biggest reaction and host Jacqueline Coley replied, “Jai Bhim for Best Picture. Trust me on this one.”
As many as 275 films were eligible to compete in the Best Picture category, among which Jai Bhim was the only Tamil film. On February 8 evening, not only Suriya fans, but the entire country was hoping for the big news. The movie could not make it to the final list of Oscar nominations. While fans were disappointment, they are also very proud of actor Suriya and the movie’s crew for being noticed at an international level. Some netizens said whether it won or lost, “Jai Bhim deserved the best and fulfilled it’s wish of creating an impact in the society.”
The courtroom drama was released in November 2021 on an Amazon Prime Video. Suriya’s 39th film also stars Prakash Raj, Rajisha Vijayan and Lijomol Jose in the major roles. The film focuses on the real-life story of members of the Irular community in Tamil Nadu, who were subjected to custodial torture during the mid-90s, and the then lawyer Chandru who bought them justice.
Fans and celebrities who watched ‘Jai Bhim’ have loved it. The film resonated with viewers across language and state borders and has been screened in front of massive crowds in states other than Tamil Nadu. At the same time, the film sparked some controversy. Days after the film was streamed online, Tamil Nadu’s political party PMK alleged that several scenes in the film had tarnished the image and targeted the Vanniyar community. TJ Gnanavel released a detailed statement in Tamil offering an apology for any unintended hurt the film might’ve caused.
‘Jai Bhim’ also received international acclaim – it topped the IMDB rankings in particular. The film was eligible for the Oscars and many said that there was a possibility Jai Bhim would make it to the final list for the Best Picture. However, that did not happen. Belfast, Coda, Don’t Look Up, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, Drive My Car, The Power Of The Dog, Dune and West Side Story were nominated in the Best Picture category by the Academy. Fans and celebs took to Twitter to react to the news of Jai Bhim not making it to the Oscars.
Oscars and Indian/Tamil films:
No Indian film has ever won an Oscar so far. Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan in 2001 made it to the final list of nominations in the Best International Feature category. Mother India in 1958 and Salaam Bombay in 1989 are the other Indian films to have made it to the final nominations.
Debutant Tamil director Vinothraj’s ‘Koozhangal’ (Pebbles) was India’s official entry to the Oscars 2022 and Koozhangal bagged the Tiger Award at International Film Festival of Rotterdam in 2021. Koozhangal was the first Tamil film to win the award. The movie was also screened in numerous other international film festivals.
Tamil film Visaaranai was selected as the official entry to Oscars 2017 in the Foreign Language Film category. It was the first Tamil film to win the Amnesty International Award at the 72nd Venice Film Festival.
