Check Out 5 South Indian Films That Were Submitted For Oscar Nominations

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MARCH 19,2024

For the past 67 years, India has submitted movies for Oscar nominations annually. These submissions include films in all Indian languages, from Bengali to Assamese, as well as all South Indian languages. The Film Federation of India has selected a total of 14 South Indian films for the Oscars, including 10 Tamil films, 3 Malayalam films, and only 1 Telugu film. Here is a brief summary of some of the films submitted for nomination at the Academy Awards.

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Nayakan (Tamil, 1987),

Directed by Mani Ratnam, the film stars Kamal Haasan and Saranya Ponvannan. The story follows a young boy named Sakthivel who witnesses his father's murder by a police officer. After killing the same officer, he flees to Mumbai and becomes a gangster in the future. The film's main character is based on Varadarajan Mudaliar, a real-life Tamil gangster who operated in Mumbai during the 1980s.

Adaminte Makan Abu (Malayalam, 2011)

This is a highly praised social drama that follows a Muslim couple's journey to fulfill their dream of going on the Hajj pilgrimage. Adaminte Makan Abu (Malayalam, 2011) is a highly praised social drama that follows a Muslim couple's journey to fulfill their dream of going on the Hajj pilgrimage. Despite facing numerous challenges, the couple perseveres. In 2011, the movie received four National Awards for Best Feature Film, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Music Direction. Directed by Salim Ahamad, the film stars Salim Kumar and Zarina Wahab in lead roles.

Jeans (Tamil, 1998)

'Jeans' features the famous actress Aishwarya Rai alongside Prashanth in a romantic comedy that was known for being one of the most expensive films made at the time. The plot revolves around a couple who fall in love against their families' wishes. The father of twin sons wishes to marry them to a pair of twin sisters, but one of the sons falls in love with a girl who does not have a twin. Later, chaos ensues when a fake twin sister is introduced.

Anjali (Tamil, 1990)

This is an intense film directed by Mani Ratnam that revolves around the topic of disability in young children. Anjali is a young girl who is believed to be dead, but is found to be alive and suffering from a fatal cognitive disorder. The movie captures the grief of the parents who have to watch their daughter face society's dark side at a very young age because of her disability.

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Swati Mutyam (Telugu, 1986)

This is the only Telugu-language film submitted for an Oscar nomination. The story introduces us to a rural man with autism who is also an orphan. The man is played by the legendary Kamal Haasan. He marries a widow who is being abused by her family and later loses his grandmother, whom he has grown up with. The movie takes us through his journey of becoming a family man and a provider despite his disability. He even has a son with his wife.