RRR or The Kashmir Files, Twitter debates India’s official entry for Oscars 2023 ahead of announcement

Twitter is abuzz with fan predictions about India’s official entry for the Oscars next year. The 95th Academy Awards will take place in March 2023. However, it has been reported that jury members of the Film Federation of India are presently looking at movies that can be sent from the country to compete at Oscars 2023 in the best international feature film category. Even as an official announcement is awaited, fans on Twitter are convinced it is either RRR or The Kashmir Files, two of the biggest hits of recent times. Also read: SS Rajamouli says he ‘never ever expected RRR to do so well’ in the West

Fans are tweeting about SS Rajamouli’s RRR, starring Jr NTR and Ram Charan, with the hashtag ‘RRR for Oscars’. While stating that the film should be selected as India’s official entry for Oscars next year, some are making their case by saying it was not only a pan-India hit, but was also praised in the West, even by Hollywood filmmakers. “For non-Hollywood films there is only one category – best foreign language film. But RRR will get nominated in multiple categories like Parasite (The Korean film),” tweeted one.

Some are even predicting the film will win an Oscar, regardless of whether or not it is announced as India’s official entry. One tweet read, “I will say that it is 100 percent confirmed that RRR will win an Oscar, either for best film, best director or best actor. Rajamauli fan forever.” Some have even edited photos that show Jr NTR and Ram Charan winning a trophy at the Oscars.

RRR has caught the attention of the West with a report in Variety recently mentioning the film in its Oscar predictions list. The report had said that SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus could get nominated in three categories — best international feature, best original song, and best actor. Ram Charan and Jr NTR also got a mention in the Oscars prediction list. Oscars 2023 nominations will be announced on January 24, 2023. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 12.

Meanwhile, fans of The Kashmir Files are busy promoting the film as India’s official entry for Oscars 2023. One person tweeted, “People want to see The Kashmir Files for Oscars. It is a great movie, but how long can we keep giving awards to movies based on fictional stories. It takes lots of guts to make a movie like The Kashmir Files.” Another one wrote, “The Kashmir Files will always be the movie, which opened my eyes to how powerful a medium cinema is, and what right intent can do to give voice to the unheard and silenced.”

The Kashmir Files depicts the story of the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits. It is written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, and stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumaar, Pallavi Joshi, and Chinmay Mandlekar. The film was made tax-free in several states.

Recently trade analyst Ramesh Bala had tweeted about RRR or The Kashmir Files being considered for India’s entry for Oscars 2023. He said, “Since September 16, Film Federation of India jury members are watching Indian movies for Oscars’ Indian official entry… An announcement is expected (in) October first week or before… RRR , The Kashmir Files and Shyam Singha Roy are some of the movies under consideration…”