Another disappointment for India in Oscars! ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’, India’s official entry for the upcoming Oscars, couldn’t climb the stairs of success in the Academy Awards as it has failed to make it to the final nomination list for the Best Foreign Language Film. But getting selected among 20 other languages as an Indian film is itself a big achievement. After Shwaas, another Marathi movie, was India’s official entry in the Best Foreign Language Film at the 2010 Oscars.

“Harishchandrachi Factory” is Mumbai-based theatre artist Paresh Mokashi’s directorial debut. The film is a biopic of Dadasaheb Phalke’s ordeals to wield the megaphone for India’s first motion picture “Raja Harishchandra” in 1913. Phalke made India’s first feature film in 1913, “Raja Harishchandra”, sowing the seeds for what is today the world’s largest film industry. Phalke, known as the father of Indian cinema lives in the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, instituted in his honour by the government in 1969 and which is, until today, the highest award in Indian cinema.

Nine films have been selected for the next round of voting for the 82nd Academy Awards; 65 had originally qualified in the category. The final list will be announced Feb 2, while the award ceremony will take place March 7.

The films competing for the next round are:

Argentina, “El Secreto de Sus Ojos,” Juan Jose Campanella, director;
Australia, “Samson & Delilah,” Warwick Thornton, director;
Bulgaria, “The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner,” Stephan Komandarev, director;
France, “Un Prophète,” Jacques Audiard, director;
Germany, “The White Ribbon,” Michael Haneke, director;
Israel, “Ajami,” Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, directors;
Kazakhstan, “Kelin,” Ermek Tursunov, director;
The Netherlands, “Winter in Wartime,” Martin Koolhoven, director;
Peru, “The Milk of Sorrow,” Claudia Llosa, director.

Agian, better luck next time! I’m sure one day we will surely going to win Oscar in this category.