Even though the Academy Awards are a long way away, and Oscar-baiting season hasn’t even kicked off in earnest on domestic shores, it looks as though we already have our first major controversy after the insanely popular blockbuster RRR was snubbed as India’s submission in the Best International Film category.
If you’ve been anywhere near any device with an internet connection this year, then you’ll be fully aware that the utterly bonkers and absolutely delightful 182-minute epic has comfortably become one of the year’s most talked-about films, which ranges from earning upwards of $150 million at the box office, before scoring major viewership numbers after being added to Netflix.
An unhinged blend of action, drama, romance, comedy, and outright slapstick, a huge volume of RRR supporters were expecting it to be nailed-on for a nomination at the very least. As you can see from the reactions below, then, the mood has definitely soured, but the focus has now shifted towards the Telegu spectacular pulling a Parasite and receiving recognition in the general categories instead.
There’s an air of disbelief on Film Twitter right now, and understandably so. RRR has been dominating the discussion and the discourse for months, and nobody really expected anything else to be pushed as India’s major contender, especially when Last Film Show hasn’t captured many imaginations.
RRR was genuine cultural event and an international phenomenon, so this one really boggles the mind a little bit. A Best Picture nomination may be just too far out of reach, so the backlash is only just getting started.
