Rishab Shetty's Kantara, one of the most successful films of 2022, now hopes to make a mark at the Academy Awards. Kantara became one of the highest-grossing Indian movies of last year and received widespread critical acclaim.
The film has made it to the Academy Awards contention list in the Best Picture and Best Actor categories informed the actor-director Rishab Shetty himself on his Twitter handle.
“We are overjoyed to share that 'Kantara' has received 2 Oscar qualifications! A heartfelt thank you to all who have supported us. We look forward to sharing this journey ahead with all of your support. Can’t wait to see it shine at the Oscars,” wrote Shetty.
This means that the film is eligible for Oscar members to cast a vote to push it through to the main nominations. The final nominations for the Oscars will be announced on January 24.
Kantara was a late entry in the Oscars race. Notably, the makers’ campaign at the Academy Awards came after fans and netizens demanded that the film should be nominated at the Oscars.
Set in the fictional village of Dakshina Kannada, Kantara follows a Kambala champion, also played by Shetty, who comes to loggerheads with an upright Forest Range officer, Murali (Kishore). The film cleverly weaves in the Bhoota Kola tradition (practiced in Karnataka) and the mythological story about the deity.
Notably, this year, several other Indian films including Gangubai Kathiawadi, RRR, The Kashmir Files, Chhelo Show, Iravin Nijhal, Rocketry, Me Vasantrao, The Next Morning, and Vikrant Rona have also made it to the reminder list of films eligible for Oscars 2023.