Dam 999 up for Best Oscar nod

The film`s music, composed by Ousephachan, is one among the ninety-seven scores from eligible movies that are in contention for nominations in the Original Score category, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have announced.

Earlier this week, the film`s three songs - `Dam 999 Theme song`, `Dakkanga Dugu Dugu` and `Mujhe Chodke` - featured among the 39 tracks selected for the Academy`s Original Songs category.

`Dam 999`, directed by debutante Sohan Roy, is also included in the Best Picture Oscar eligibility list after it finished a week-long qualifying run in Los Angeles in October.

The film, however, has courted controversy for being allegedly based on the Mullaperiyar dam issue, which is a bone of contention between the Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments and the film is banned in the former state.

Ousephachan, a well-known name in Malayalam cinema, will now have to battle it out with composers like Alexandre Desplat (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2) and Michael Giacchino (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol) to get nominated in the Original Score category.

Oscar nominations will be announced on January 24 and the awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26.