5 min readSep 26, 2026 06:40 PM IST First published on: Sep 26, 2026 at 06:40 PM ISTIt is that time of the year when endless discussions about India’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards in 2027 begin to unspool. Some question the Film Federation of India’s selection, others wonder about the chosen film’s Oscar prospects, while some dismiss the entire exercise as an Indian quest for Western validation. This year, however, there is a twist in the tale and, with that, the scope for an entirely new debate.After Angh was overlooked by the Film Federation of India (FFI), which chose the Marathi-language Gondhal as India’s official entry for the upcoming Oscars, Theja Rio’s Konyak-language film gained direct entry into the competition under new Academy rules after winning the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). One might assume that having two movies in the race might increase the odds of the coveted golden statuette finally coming to India, but the whole approach needs some rethinking, especially when Indians have been seeking an Oscar as desperately as an Olympic gold. Or more.AdvertisementIn India, the task of selecting the country’s official entry for the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category is entrusted to the FFI. While the selection of films such as Court (2014) and Homebound (2025) has been welcomed by cinephiles, the choice has more often than not triggered outrage, debate and, at times, disbelief. Take The Lunchbox. Ritesh Batra’s film generated considerable buzz following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and had the backing of a major Hollywood studio. Yet, Gyan Correa’s little-known Gujarati film The Good Road was selected as India’s official entry in 2013. A similar debate erupted around S S Rajamouli’s RRR, which failed to find favour with the FFI jury, which instead selected Pan Nalin’s Gujarati-language Chhello Show as India’s entry.The FFI jury has often defended its choice by saying that it selects the film that best “represents Indian culture”. Therein lies one of the fundamental questions about India’s Oscar strategy: What kind of film should India be submitting as its official entry?Also Read | ‘Lust Stories’ offers what few other series do — a window into the world of women’s desiresCinema is undoubtedly part of a country’s popular culture. But the primary expectation from a film that is eyeing a prominent international award is to entertain, move, provoke, or create a compelling cinematic experience. It is an added advantage when an Indian film manages to do that while also capturing an aspect of the country’s life and society. That was the case with films such as Mother India, Salaam Bombay! and Lagaan, all of which became Oscar nominees. But representing a country’s culture is not the criterion on which the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) members vote.AdvertisementThe point is not that the Academy ignores cultural specificity. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. A moving cinematic work is inevitably rooted in its milieu, and that local specificity can often make a film distinctive. Look at some of the recent winners — Japan’s Drive My Car (2021), Germany’s All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), Britain’s The Zone of Interest (2023), Brazil’s I’m Still Here (2024) and Norway’s Sentimental Value (2025). They are very different films, but what they have in common is the strength of their filmmaking: Powerful stories, compelling performances, technical accomplishment, distinctive cinematic voices and, in some cases, incisive socio-political commentary.These apart, increasingly, there is another crucial aspect that’s becoming a major factor: Visibility. Being part of awards-season conversations and grabbing the attention of Academy members, who ultimately vote for the winners, requires more than having a brilliant film. RRR offers an interesting case study. Although it was not selected as India’s official entry, its makers mounted an ambitious international campaign. The film went on to win the Golden Globe for Best Original Song for ‘Naatu Naatu’ and, subsequently, the Oscar in the same category.you may likeFor major contenders, the Oscar campaign often begins quite early. It starts with a major title’s release strategy or festival premiere. They build on the critical response. Studios and filmmakers then sustain that visibility through the awards season, adjusting their strategy as the race takes shape. By the time FFI selects its entry, the groundwork has already been laid by those who received critical acclaim at major international platforms. For instance, winners of top awards at Cannes — La Bola Negra (Spain), Minotaur (France) and Fjord (Romania) — are already making waves.India’s Oscar strategy deserves closer scrutiny. The question is not merely whether the FFI has chosen a good Indian film. The debate should shift to whether India has picked a film that can stand out on an intensely competitive international platform and what kind of campaigns it has planned to boost its chances.The writer is associate editor, The Indian Express. alaka.sahani@expressindia.com