Two films from India 'Jai Bhim,' starring Suriya, and 'Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham,' starring Mohanlal, have been formally added to the lengthy list of films eligible for the Oscars in 2022.
The list includes just two Indian feature films: the Tamil drama Jai Bhim and the Malayalam action-adventure film Marakkar.
On Thursday night, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which governs the Academy Prizes (better known as the Oscars), published the list of 276 films eligible for the awards this year.
As per various reports, voting for the 94th Academy Awards nominees would begin on January 27 and finish later that week. On February 8, the final nominees in each category will be announced. On March 27, the award presentation will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
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According to a report in Variety, the amount of films eligible for the Oscars is down from the previous year, when 366 titles were selected.
Because of the pandemic, the Academy extended the eligibility period to the end of February. As a result, this year's qualifying period runs from March 1 through December 31, 2021.
Jai Bhim's production firm greeted the selection with a tweet regarding the film's Oscar aspirations. "Into the #Oscars race! #JaiBhim makes it into the 276 films shortlisted by @TheAcademy for the 94th Academy Award nominations," said the official tweet from 2D Entertainment.
Last Monday, one of the film's moments was included to the Oscars archive, marking it the first time a Tamil film had done so.
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Jai Bhim is a judicial drama based on true events from 1993 in which Justice K Chandru defended a lawsuit. Suriya stars in the highly praised film, which also stars Lijomol Jose, Manikandan, and Prakash Raj.
'Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham' (Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea) is a Malayalam period war film based on the achievements of the fourth Kunjali Marakkar, the admiral of the Zamorin navy in the 16th century. At the 67th National Awards last year, the film received three National Awards, including Best Feature Film.
Only three Indian feature films have ever received Oscar nominations: Mother India, Salaam Bombay, and Lagaan. A number of English-language films by Indian filmmaker Ismail Merchant have also received nominations, while Asif Kapadia's documentary Amy won the prize for Best Documentary Feature in 2013.
