RDB to compete in 8 categories at Oscars

MUMBAI: India’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 79^th Annual Academy Awards – Rang De Basanti – will also be competing in seven other mainline categories. They are: Best Film, Direction, Cinematography, Screenplay, Editing, Art Direction and Sound Design.

The Oscars will be held in February next year in Los Angeles.

UTV CEO and producer of Rang De Basanti Ronnie Screwvala said, “Outside of the Best Foreign Language Film that we have been nominated in, we have also applied in seven mainline categories but our focus will remain in the foreign language category. However, Rang De Basanti will not be competing with any other Indian film (Lage Raho Munnbhai). It’s true that any film can apply in the mainline category but then you are up against all the Hollywood majors, where we too have applications in seven such categories.”

On whether he would have apllied separately had Rang De Basanti not been the official entry, Screwvala said, “No. We believe there should only be one entry per country and for us now Rang De Basanti does not belong to UTV or Rakeysh Mehra but to every Indian.”