The relation of movies and India is very deep. India is a land that is full of hidden stories that can take anyone by shock. One way of depicting these stories is through our movies. Indian film makers have time and again presented pieces of excellence to its audience.
The Indian cinema has evolved through these years. And so has the craft of the film makers. Indian movies have time and again received recognition for their uniqueness. Ahead of the Oscars 2022, here five lesser-known Indian movies that got Oscar’s nomination. They are definitely worth your time.
An Encounter with Faces (1979)
The Vidhu Vinod Chopra direct is a visionary piece in the Indian film making. The one-of-a-kind short documentary leaves a mark in the minds of the viewers. It centres on a group of orphaned children, capturing their experiences and socioeconomic plight through the eyes of the children. In 1978, the film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Short Subject.
Salaam Bombay (1989)
This critically acclaimed film received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 1989. The film, directed, co-written, and co-produced by Mira Nair in collaboration with Sooni Taraporevala, takes you deep into the world of drugs, prostitution, and child labour in India's slums. The visuals used depicted the social stigmas deep-rooted in the Indian society and impressed the viewers with its content.
Little Terrorist (2004)
Aswin Kumar, the son of fashion designer Ritu Kumar, wrote, directed, and produced Little Terrorist, which was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Live Action Short Film. Jamal, a 12-year-old Muslim Pakistani, crosses the Indian border by accident and befriends Bhola, a Hindu Brahmin, in this short film.
Smile Pinki (2008)
The Meghan Mylan directed movie is a documentary of a small girl with cleft lips. It won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Short Documentary. ‘Smile Pinki’ is a short documentary about Pinki Sonkar, a six-year-old girl living in one of India's poorest areas with a severe cleft lip. The movie shows the struggle of the young girl and how a social worker helped the family to get the little child operated. It spreads awareness about the topic and impressed the viewers and left them with a smile on their faces.
White Tiger (2021)
Adarsh Gourav, Priyanka Chopra (co-producer), and Rajkummar Rao star in this Ramin Bahrani-directed drama from 2021. The film follows protagonist Balram Halwai (Gourav) as he rises from poverty to become a successful entrepreneur in modern-day India, and is a commentary on classism and casteism in India. The White Tiger has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay last year.
