India Picks Surprise Oscar Submission: Harishchandrachi Factory

by Anne Thompson
October 8, 2009 12:30 PM
2 Comments
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Thompson on Hollywood
Only three Indian films have been nominated for the best foreign film Oscar: 1957's Mother India, Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay in 1988, and Lagaan, in 2001. This year's choice was a surprise, from 40-year-old rookie director Paresh Mokashi: Harishchandrachi Factory, the story of India's first feature film. Made in 1913, Raja Harishchandra was directed by Dadasaheb Phalke, the D.W. Griffith of Indian cinema.

Wrapped in January, the film has not been released in India. The only other Marathi film submitted for the Oscar was Sandeep Sawant’s Shwaas, in 2004.

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More: Awards, Oscars

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2 Comments

  • eyeswiredopen | October 9, 2009 2:59 AMReply

    Anne, your blog will not come up on Google Reader - please get indiewire to fix quickly, this wasnt an issue when you were at H. Rep.

  • Brian | October 9, 2009 2:57 AMReply

    CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA wuz robbed!

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