Here's all you need to know about "2018-Everyone is a Hero", India's official entry to Oscars 2024
New Delhi: The Film Federation of India has officially selected the Indian film "2018-Everyone is a Hero" as India's entry to the Academy Awards 2024, commonly known as the Oscars. This multi-starrer survival drama, directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, was chosen from a pool of 22 films, including notable entries like "The Kerala Story," "Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani," and "Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway."
"2018-Everyone is a Hero" is a Malayalam-language epic survival drama that revolves around the catastrophic 2018 Kerala floods. The film boasts a star-studded cast featuring Tovino Thomas, Kunchako Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Narain, and Lal, among others. It tells the story of ordinary people who displayed extraordinary courage and resilience during the devastating floods.
Principal photography for the film commenced on May 27, 2022, and it was shot in various locations in Kerala, as well as in Tirunelveli and Hyderabad. The filming concluded on November 13, 2022. Originally slated for release on April 21, 2023, the film eventually hit theaters on May 5, 2023.
"2018-Everyone is a Hero" has garnered significant critical acclaim and commercial success. It has become the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time, grossing over ₹2 billion (approximately US$25 million) at the box office. The film was praised for its storytelling, cinematography by Akhil George, quality VFX, and the powerful performances of its cast.
Gopika Is of The Times of India gave the film a 4 out of 5-star rating, commending the quality of the writing and technical aspects. Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express also rated it 4 out of 5 stars, emphasizing the film's portrayal of rain as a pivotal character. Overall, the film has been lauded for its gripping storyline and its portrayal of hope and resilience during a challenging time.
"2018-Everyone is a Hero" has left a lasting impact on audiences and critics alike, making it a compelling choice as India's official entry to the 96th Academy Awards. The film can be streamed on the OTT platform SonyLiv.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
