Makers of Swatantrya Veer Savarkar claim film as official submission for ‘Oscars’: FFI clarifies
Mumbai: After the official announcement of Kiran Rao’s directorial Laapataa Ladies being selected as India’s entry for the Oscars, the makers of Randeep Hooda-starrer Swatantrya Veer Savarkar caused controversy by claiming on social media that their film was also officially submitted for the prestigious award, IndianExpress reported.
The post, shared by the film's co-producers, Sandeep Singh and Anand Pandit, on Instagram, expressed gratitude to the Film Federation of India (FFI) for their "remarkable appreciation," leading to widespread confusion. The post stated, “Honored and humbled! Our film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar has officially been submitted for the Oscars. Thank you Film Federation of India for this remarkable appreciation.”
However, FFI President Ravi Kottakara debunked these claims, clarifying that only Laapataa Ladies had been officially submitted by India for consideration in the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards. He labeled the communication from the Swatantrya Veer Savarkar team as misleading, stating that “only Laapataa Ladies has been sent for the Oscars from India officially.”
While Swatantrya Veer Savarkar was among the 29 films initially considered by the FFI for India’s official Oscar submission, it was ultimately not selected. Despite this, the makers can independently submit their film to the Academy, which is allowed under the rules, although it would not carry the weight of an official country endorsement.
It is worth noting that, in 2022, SS Rajamouli's blockbuster RRR was independently submitted to the Oscars, despite Last Film Show being India’s official selection, and went on to win the Best Original Song category for "Naatu Naatu." Similarly, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi was independently submitted in several key categories the same year.
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Auto driver Sharif murder case: Two taken into police custody
Mangaluru: In connection with the murder of Mulki-based auto rickshaw driver Muhammad Sharif (52), two individuals have been taken into custody by Manjeshwar police. Sharif, a resident of Kolnadu in Mulki, had gone missing on the night of April 9. His body was discovered the following night in an abandoned well in Kunjathur Padu, within the Manjeshwar police station limits.
According to police sources, preliminary postmortem findings confirmed that Sharif had been murdered before his body was dumped in the well. Investigation revealed that three individuals from Mangaluru had hired Sharif’s auto rickshaw on the night of his disappearance. CCTV footage from the Talapady toll gate captured the rickshaw heading towards Manjeshwar around midnight.
Based on this and other leads, Manjeshwar police intensified their probe and have now detained two suspects, both reportedly from Mangaluru, for questioning in connection with the case.
The investigation is ongoing.
