Director Adam McKay calls India’s ‘RRR’ Oscar snub “a travesty”
In recent weeks, the Film Federation of India’s (FFI) decision to overlook director SS Rajamouli’s blockbuster RRR as India’s official entry for the Oscars has caused a stir across the industry globally. Adam McKay, director of The Big Short, Vice, and Don’t Look Up, has come forward in support of RRR.
McKay called the decision “a travesty” and promised support for RRR to get it nominated in the Best Pictures category at the Academy Awards next year. “This is a travesty. But let’s make sure it gets a best picture nom. Can we do a screening at the Rose Bowl? (How amazing would that be?) #RRR,” he tweeted.
Countering popular opinion, the FFI panel instead landed on the Gujarati film Chhello Show (Last Film Show) as the country’s official entry for the Best International Feature at the Oscars. Since the decision, fans and industry peers alike have come forward to express their dissatisfaction and feel the FFI has squandered India’s best chance at ending its 21-year drought at the Oscars.
The war-time fictional drama has become a global sensation since its release back in March, with a general consensus in the west that the film would have been Oscar-worthy. However, the members of the FFI board made a controversial cut against the grain.
“Chhello Show was a unanimous decision by the jury. Out of the 17, all of them said we need this film. We are never inside, so this was completely the jury’s decision. They said it is an Indian film that should go (for Oscar),” FFI president TP Aggarwal told indianexpress.com in defence of the decision.
The RRR camp is now in the process of spearheading a campaign to submit the film under various popular categories at the Oscars in redemption efforts.
Watch the official trailer for SS Rajamouli’s RRR below.
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