Malayalam film 2018 has been selected as India’s official entry for the Best International Film category at the 96th Oscars, scheduled for March 10, 2024, in Los Angeles. This decision was made by a jury led by veteran director Girish Kasaravalli.
Directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, the film delves into the harrowing 2018 Kerala floods. Spanning 150 minutes, 2018 weaves together the stories of various characters, shedding light on the consequences of relentless rainfall, ill-fated environmental decisions, and the wrath of nature.
The film stars Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Narain and Lal.
2018 released in May this year and is both a critical and box office hit – it is the highest earning Malayalam movie of all time.
The film has also been dubbed into Hindi.
“Thank you God . Thank you Indian Cinema,” director Jude posted on Facebook.
Read Maktoob’s 2018 review here.
As per reports, a total of 22 films made it to the shortlist. The films include “The Kerala Story,” “Vaalvi,” “Gadar 2,” “Balagam,” “Dasara,” “Zwigato,” “The Storyteller,” “Rocky aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani,” “Music School,” “Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway,” “Ghoomer,” “Viduthalai Part 1,” “Baap Layak,” and “12th Fail.”
India has yet to win the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Oscars. However, three Indian films have achieved the remarkable feat of reaching the final nominations: Mehboob Khan’s “Mother India” (1957), Mira Nair’s “Salaam Bombay!” (1988), and Ashutosh Gowariker’s “Lagaan” (2001).
