India selects Oscars entry
2012-09-23 14:24
New Delhi - A moving film about love between a deaf-mute boy and an autistic girl was selected as India's entry for best foreign film category for the 2013 Academy Awards, media reports said on Sunday.
Directed by Anurag Basu, Barfi, beat 19 other films to be named India's choice for the Oscars, broadcaster NDTV reported, citing the Film Federation of India (FFI).
The romantic comedy was released in India on 14 September to rave reviews and packed cinemas.
Barfi has been lauded in local film circles for its simple but powerful narrative. It has appealed to audiences with an appetite for potboilers, local media reported.
Critics have praised performances by Ranbir Kapoor who played the lead role of Murphy alias Barfi and actress Priyanka Chopra.
The Indian film industry churns out hundreds of films every year but has yet to win an Academy Award. So far, only three Indian films, including Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay (1988) and Lagaan (2001) have been shortlisted for the award.