& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

"The Good Road" versus "The Lunchbox"debate

Pallab Bhattacharya, New Delhi
Gujarati language film "The Good Road", by debutant director Gyan Correa, was selected as India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards next year.
Set in the harsh terrain of Kutch, a desert in the western Indian state of Gujarat, the film revolves around a truck driver and a couple whose child is on the run. The movie, featuring Sonali Kulkarni, Keval Katrodia and Ajay Gehi, was adjudged the best feature film (in Gujarati) at the 60th national awards.
The movie beat off competition from 21 other contenders, including "The Lunchbox", "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”, "English Vinglish", Bengali film "Shabdo” and Tamil language film "Vishwaroopam".
Chairman of the selection committee, eminent filmmaker Gautam Ghose said the Film Federation of India unanimously picked "The Good Road".
But the choice immediately set off controversy. The first voices of protest came from Ritesh Batra, director and producer of "The Lunchbox", starring Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The film has received good reviews in Indian newspapers as well as in the festival circuit.
Anurag Kashyap, who co-produced "The Lunchbox", tweeted "first time and I really mean it, I was excited because first time we knew we had a chance... I don't know who the Film Federation of India is but it goes to show, why we completely lack the understanding to make films that can travel across borders."
Bollywood director-producer Karan Johar, who turned presenter for “The Lunchbox", tweeted: "The Lunchbox' had every factor working in its favour, we may have lost our golden chance." Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who plays Aslam Shaikh in "The Lunchbox”, said "I was 100 per cent sure that The Lunchbox' is going for Oscars. It's a shock that it didn't. I have never heard of The Good Road'."
However, Correa was naturally overjoyed. "I can't believe it. It is a great feeling and I am recovering my breath and understanding the implications. I hope we win,” said Correa.
So far in the history of Indian cinema, only three Bollywood films -Mehboob Khan's "Mother India" (1957), Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay" (1988) and Ashutosh Gowariker's "Lagaan" (2001) have made it to the final five nomination stage of the Oscar.
Last year, director Anurag Basu's "Barfi!", featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, was sent as a contender but failed to make it to the top five.
The Oscar presentation ceremony will take place in March 2014.