Winning Oscar like running for President now: Susan Sarandon

Academy award winning Hollywood star Susan Sarandon feels it is far more difficult to win an Oscar these days because the procedure is as elaborate as running for President.

Sarandon, 67, was nominated four times for the Academy Awards before finally bagging the honour in 1995 for 'Dead Man Walking'.

The actress said winning the trophy now has more to do about who is backing you rather than actual talent. "Getting an Academy award is great. You kind of join an elite club. But at the same time there are so many actors in the film business. Now you need to have someone like Harvey Weinstein behind you to get an Academy award or even a nomination.

"People are on the road doing all kinds of different events, visiting different places. It is like running for President. They spend so much time and money. So there are so many great performances that don't have a shot at all," said Sarandon on the sidelines of IFFI.

The actress-turned-activist also expressed her delight over meeting veteran Indian actress Waheeda Rehman, who was honoured with the Centenary award at the festival.

"I told Waheeda that it was wonderful to meet an older actress who has been in the film business for so long and is still cheerful and happy and glowing," she said.

Sarandon, who has been in Hollywood for more than two decades, said working in the film business is very difficult for actresses as they have to struggle for their existence every single day.

"The business is very cruel to women. People have often asked me whether me being involved in politics has lost me jobs in Hollywood. The truth of the matter is Hollywood is not political and the only reason why you can lose work is if you grow old and fat. I think there is something to be said for that," Sarandon said.

The 'Step Mom' star said that even at 67, she feels she has many more years to give to films.

"That's the reason so many actresses are telling their own stories. I try and keep working until I am not having fun anymore. And if I don't get plastic surgery, I will be one of the few actors who looks her age. It is a hard place for women but there are so many actresses who are doing better work as they grow older. I am 67, I can hardly belive at myself.

"My daughter just wrote something for me and her to do. My son is a director and my other son is a musician. I think we should just start a family cottage film business. That's how I will keep working."

The actress also cleared the air about the designer, who created her bright pink and red knee length dress for the opening ceremony of IFFI.

Earlier, festival director Shankar Mohan had told reporters that Goan designer Wendell Rodricks would design Sarandon's outfit for the opening ceremony but Wendell denied.

"To put all confusion to rest, I would like to say that dress was designed by my friend and designer Han Feng. She is a Chineese woman, who is now an American citizen. She designed the costumes for Madama Butterfly-The Metropolitan Opera.

"She has also designed clothes for the film 'Karate Kid'. I really wanted to wear a saree for the ceremony but things did not work out with some designers her. Hopefully next time I will get to wear traditional Indian attire," she said.

More: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/winning-oscar-like-running-for-president-now-susan-sarandon/1198201/0

Film Federation of India demands unconditional apology from The Lunchbox director

Upset with director Ritesh Batra and producer Anurag Kashyap’s vocal disapproval of the selection of Gyan Correa’s The Good Road as India’s Oscar entry over Batra’s The Lunchbox, the Film Federation of India (FFI) has sent a scathing letter (a copy of which is with this paper) to Batra asking for an unconditional apology for what the FFI sees as his ‘unsavoury comments’ over their choice.

In the strongly worded letter the FFI says it has taken ‘great umbrage’ to the way Batra has gone about ‘demeaning a film’ selected by an ‘eminent jury’. The letter asks him, “Are you suggesting that you seriously believe that no one in India is capable of making a better film?” The letter further goes on to question his confidence about The Lunchbox being eminent Oscar-worthy, wondering how the film’s international distributors Sony Classics were so confident about it winning the Oscar.

The letter asks Batra, “Are you suggesting that the Oscar is rigged? We are taking this matter up separately with the Academy. We are lead to believe that you have a letter from Sony Classics which is the reason for your confidence.” The letter goes on to say that the FFI so far ignored Batra’s ‘constant rantings’ as ‘result of acute disappointment of a young boy with his debut film’. But now the FFI says it will take the matter up with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting since Batra in his Facebook account has accused the process of selecting the Oscar entry of being corrupt.

The letter ends with the FFI demanding an unconditional apology.

When contacted, Batra said, “I haven’t seen the letter.”

The Good Road: The reasons behind its selection as India's Oscar entry

Gyan Correa's debut Gujarati movie 'The Good Road', a lost-and-found story of a small boy, was today nominated as India's official entry at next year's Oscars in the Best Foreign Film category. 

National award-winning 'The Good Road' saw off strong competition from films like 'The Lunchbox', 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag', 'English Vinglish', Malayalam film 'Celluloid' and Kamal Haasan's 'Vishwaroopam'.

 "There were 22 entries from different parts of India for consideration this year. Films like 'The Lunchbox', 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' and 'Vishwaroopam' were short-listed but it was an unanimous decision by the 19-member jury to select 'The Good Road', In fact, 'The Lunchbox' was a very strong contender," Gautam Ghosh, chairman of Oscar selection committee of Film Federation of India, told PTI. 

Gyan Correa's debut Gujarati movie 'The Good Road' is a lost-and-found story of a small boy. He said the jury had a five-hour-long discussion before finally selecting 'The Good Road', which won the national award for the best Gujarati film. "This is a new film but 'The Good Road' surprises as it shows the unknown India through the story of a boy who is lost and then found while his family is on a holiday trip to Kutch," Ghosh added. 

Correa, 42, who teamed up with local people like a truck driver Shamjibhai to make his documentary-style road drama, said the selection is only the beginning of a journey. "It's fabulous that 'The Good Road' has been nominated for the Oscars and I congratulate each and every member of the film, for this moment. It's the recognition of all little people of India like Shamjibhai and all their great stories to tell. 

And it's just the beginning of the journey now," he said in a statement. Produced by National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), the film stars Keval Katrodia as seven-year-old Aditya who loses his way in the desert. It also stars Sonali Kulkarni and actor Ajay Gehi as Aditya's parents. 

The news, however, has not gone down well with 'The Lunchbox' co-producer Anurag Kashyap and presenter Karan Johar, who took to Twitter to express their anger. "Feeling very very disappointed, can't comment on the film I have not seen, but it better make it to final five. I don't know who the federation is but it goes to show, why we completely lack the understanding to make films that can travel across borders..." "We should then make a clean policy, you want to send the best film, then send the National award winner or send the one most likely to win," Kashyap tweeted. 

Johar echoed Kashyap, saying the country may have lost its 'golden chance' by not nominating 'The Lunchbox'. "Really shocked and dissapointed.... #LUNCHBOX had every factor working in its favour... we may have just lost our golden chance.... SAD!!! (sic)," Johar tweeted. Director Ritesh Batra, whose debut film won the Critics Week Viewers Choice Award at Cannes this year, and received positive buzz in other international festivals, said the FFI-appointed jury lacked vision. "Congrats to 'The Good Road'. Hope it makes it all the way, else it will be a lost chance by FFI-appointed jury that lacks vision. Hope I am wrong," he tweeted. 

Last year, 'Barfi!' was nominated from India. The last Indian film that made it to the final five nominees at the Oscars was Ashutosh Gowariker's 2002 film 'Lagaan'. 'Mother India' and 'Salaam Bombay' are the only other Indian films to have made it to the top five. The 86th Academy award will take place on March 2, next year.

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‘The Good Road’ nominated as India’s entry for Oscars

Gyan Correa’s National award-winning Gujarati film ‘The Good Roard’, a lost-and-found story of a small boy, was on Saturday nominated to represent India in the Best Foreign Film category at next year’s Oscars.

It saw off strong competition from films like ‘The Lunchbox’, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, ‘English Vinglish’, Malayalam film ‘Celluloid’ and Kamal Haasan’s ‘Vishwaroopam’.

“There were 22 entries from different parts of India for consideration this year. Films like ‘The Lunchbox’, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ and ‘Vishwaroopam’ were short-listed but it was an unanimous decision by the 19-member jury to select ‘The Good Road’,” Gautam Ghosh, chairman of Oscar selection committee, told PTI.

He said the jury had a five-hour-long discussion before finally selecting ‘The Good Road’, which won the national award for the best Gujarati film.

“This is a new film but ‘The Good Road’ surprises as it shows the unknown India through the story of a boy who is lost and then found while his family is on a holiday trip to Kutch,” Ghosh added.

Produced by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), ‘The Good Road’ marks 42-year-old Correa’s debut.

The film stars Keval Katrodia as seven-year-old Aditya who loses his way in the desert. It also stars Sonali Kulkarni and actor Ajay Gehi as Aditya’s parents.