On the world stage

Oscar win will further redefine national cinema

The latest edition of the Oscar proved a big one for Indian filmmakers and performers. Naatu Naatu’s golden run on the international stage continues, clinching an Oscar as well as a Golden Globe for Best Original Song within a span of two months. In the short documentary category, too, Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga bagged the Academy award for their film The Elephant Whisperer. The two winning entries — drastically different as they are in their genre, feel, and texture of filmmaking — both hail from the southern half of India. While the first is a peppy dance number from the mass entertainer RRR, the other is a serene walk through the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu. This clearly reflects the rapidly growing cultural clout of cinema from Southern India, across genres. In the domestic market, a string of blockbusters have helped redefine the very idea of a national cinema. And it’s not just about the KGFs or the Baahubalis either. Films such as Jallikattu (2019) and Kantara (2022) have taken their viewers deep into the micro-cultures and daily quirks of local communities. Others, like Kumbalangi Nights (2019) and Jai Bhim (2021), have given characters that are easily relatable, yet uniquely embedded in their immediate socio-cultural realities.

TO READ THE FULL STORY, SUBSCRIBE NOW NOW AT JUST RS 249 A MONTH.

MONTHLY

₹ 249

Select

ANNUAL

₹ 1799

Select

Best Offer

SMART ANNUAL

₹ 1499

₹ 1799

Opt for auto renewal and save Rs 300

Select

What you get on Business Standard Premium?

Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app.
Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006.
Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more.
Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them.
26 years of website archives.
Preferential invites to Business Standard events.