The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the list of films shortlisted for Oscars 2023, and in a historic moment, two Indian films have found themselves on the list. SS Rajamouli's magnum opus 'RRR' and Pan Nalin's 'Chhello Show' have been officially shortlisted for the 95th Academy Awards.
The Gujarati film 'Chhello Show' (Last Film Show), that was India's official entry to the Oscars, has been shortlisted in the Best International Feature Film category at the 95th Academy Awards.
'Chhello Show' producers Siddharth Roy Kapur and Dheer Momaya, along with director Pan Nalin, jointly stated, "We are humbled and overjoyed that our heartfelt ode to the cinematic medium Last Film Show (Chhello Show) has been recognized by the world's preeminent awards body, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Ever since our selection by the Film Federation of India as India's Official Entry to the 95th Oscars, we knew in our hearts that the film was bound for something special."
"We would like to thank the FFI, the millions of people who watched and admired Chhello Show, as well as our international distributors who gave the film a well-deserved push. This is a historic moment for India and we hope to bring the Oscar home very soon," the statement added.
'RRR' at Oscars 2023
On the other hand, 'RRR' has found a spot for itself in the Music (Original Song) category for the chartbuster 'Naatu Naatu'.
"Here we goβ¦ #NaatuNaatu becomes the first Indian song to be shortlisted for the Academy Awards! π€©ππ»THANK YOU everyone for supporting us throughout our journey," the 'RRR' team shared.
'Naatu Naatu' made its way to the list after competing with 80 other songs. According to The Academy, only 15 songs have been shortlisted out of a total 81 songs that were submitted for consideration.
The 'RRR' track now has to find its way to the top by competing with 'Nothing Is Lost' from 'Avatar: The way Of Water', 'Lift Me Up' from 'Blank Panther: Wakanda Forever', 'Hold My Hand' from 'Top Gun: Maverick' among others.
When and where will the Oscars 2023 be held?
The 95th Academy Awards are scheduled to be held on March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
The nominations voting will run from January 12 to 17, followed by the announcement of the nominations on January 24.
