Great year for Indian cinema: Vivek Agnihotri, after The Kashmir Files, Kantara & others make Oscars reminder list

The whole of India is feeling jubilant at the moment as The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, or the Oscars, unveils the list of eligible films for the upcoming iteration of the awards. With as many as 301 films making the cut, as opposed to the 276 from 2021, the pre-nomination buzz has only grown more intense as all eyes now turn toward the voting process which is scheduled to take place between the 12th and 17th of January.

For Indian moviegoers, the latest announcement regarding eligibility has come as a rather pleasant surprise as 10 Indian films enter the Oscars race. S.S. Rajamouli's RRR, which has been touted all along as a major frontrunner, Vivek Agnihotri's polarizing film The Kashmir Files, Rishab Shetty's 'Divine Blockbuster' Kantara, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi, and Pan Nalin's coming-of-age drama The Last Show are among the ten eligible films from India along with R. Parthiban's experimental non-linear, single-take film Iravin Nizhal, Nipun Avinash Dharmadhikari's Marathi film Me Vasantrao, Sanjay Gaikwad's Tujhya Sathi Kahi Hi, and R. Madhavan's directorial debut Rocketry: The Nambi Effect.

The list of 301 films deemed 'eligible' will now be part of the upcoming voting process wherein 9,579 members will start filling out their ballots on January 12, with the ballots closing five days later on January 17th.

"#TheKashmirFiles has been shortlisted for #Oscars2023 in the first list of @TheAcademy. It’s one of the 5 films from India. I wish all of them very best. A great year for Indian cinema," wrote the filmmaker. In the same vein, he also tweeted about Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, and Darshan Kumar being shortlisted for the Best Actors categories.

"This is just the beginning. A long long road ahead. Pl bless them all," added the filmmaker.

Similarly, Rishab Shetty thanked all his well-wishers following the unveiling of the reminder list. Shetty, who wrote, directed, and starred in Kantara as the leading man, is part of the long list of nomination prospects for the Best Actor category. Alia Bhatt, who scored a massive solo hit with Gangubai Kathiawadi, too, is part of the contention along with Jr. NTR, Ram Charan, and several other actors.

The final nominations, following the closure of the ballots later this month, will be announced on January 24th. This will be followed by the main round of voting which is set to take place between March 2nd and March 7th of this year. Oscars 2023 ceremony will be held on March 12th with Jimmy Kimmel as the host.