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28 March 2024

India's Oscar entry: 'Liar's Dice' director Geetu Mohandas not 'lobbying'

A still from 'Liar's Dice', India's entry for the Oscar Awards this year. (Supplied)

Published
By Sneha May Francis

We have all, actors or otherwise, at some time or the other, practiced the quintessential 'Oscar speech', with an imaginary trophy in hand.

While our “thank you” speech has deservedly remained undocumented and locked behind bathroom doors, Indian director Geetu Mohandas is inching her way towards living out her Oscar dream.

A dream that her father had predicted, rather proudly, way back in 2004.

“He was walking out of the cinema after watching my performance in ‘Akale’ when my friend asked if he liked my performance, to which he, rather pompously, announced that I was capable of more, that I will one day go to the Oscars,” she said during an exclusive tête-à-tête with Emirates24|7.

“It was embarrassing and my friends teased me a lot,” she remembers.

It even led the girls to innocently act-out Oscar speeches and red carpet moments.

While it didn’t come handy back then, (although she won a Kerala state film award for the best actress) it might now.

Her directorial debut feature ‘Liar’s Dice’ has been chosen to represent India at the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language film category this year.

Right now, however, it’s not the Oscar red carpet, or whose designs she’ll wear, or the alleged lobbying or marketing that’s got Geetu concerned. “People forget that there’s more to do. Only the nominations are over. Now, I have to fight entries from 70 other countries to make it to the five that will go for the final round.”

While the competition is tough, Geetu isn’t perturbed with the outcome.

Despite flexing its muscles on the award scene in India and in international film festivals, Geetu isn’t anxious or overtly confident about the fate of ‘Liar’s Dice’ at the Oscars.

Starring Geethanjali and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the movie has already won numerous laurels in India and abroad.

In India, ‘Liar’s Dice’ won her husband and cinematographer Rajeev Ravi, and actress Geethanjali Thapa the coveted National Award.

Abroad, the film won the special jury award at Sofia International Film Festival in Bulgaria, the Lino Micciche Award for the Best Film at Pesaro International film festival in Rome, Bronce Alhambra award at Granada Cines del Sur Film Festival and Best Film and Best Actress in international competition at New York.

It has featured at the Sundance Film Festival, the second Indian film to do so after ‘Peepli Live’.

She is happy that her hard work has been validated. “It doesn’t matter if I make it or not. I just set out to make a good film.

“There are some intelligent movies in the (Oscar) running, and I’ve competed with some at the Sundance and other international films festivals. I won at some festivals, but lost at others. It’s also about how a particular jury looks at a film.”

Questions about how she would tackle the alleged Oscar lobbying doesn’t perturb her.

“I don’t agree with these statements. I don’t know if it actually happens or not. Let me go through that journey and then tackle it.”

“I gave it my best. Now, let my producers and India take it forward.”

Ever since the news broke out on Tuesday morning, Geetu has been inundated with calls from Malayalam film industry seniors like Mammootty, Mohanlal and Pratap Pothen, and is genuinely overwhelmed by all the love.

“I feel so much positive energy when people call and congratulate. I think that’s the best part.”

Geetu had worked on the story for ‘Liar’s Dice’ the year she made her first short ‘Kelkkunnundo?’, which also went on to win many laurels. It took her nearly seven years to make the film because the search for a producer took that long.

“I struggled. Although some Hindi movie producers found the story interesting they didn’t think a movie with a woman, girl and a goat, would sell. Some even wanted to make creative changes. But, I didn’t agree because I wanted to make the film my way and within a certain budget.”

Jars Pictures came on board, and provided the perfect backing ‘Liar’s Dice’ needed and put the movie on the world map. Her own production house ‘Unplugged’ stepped in for additional support.

Shot over 22 days, across Shimla’s Chitkul village and Delhi, ‘Liar’s Dice’ explores the socio-political impact on migrant workers. It’s articulated in Hindi and a dialect spoken in Himachal Pradesh.

Geetu, who began her career as an actress at the age of five in ‘Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare’, went on to play leading parts in commercial Malayalam and Tamil films.

“I don’t miss acting. When I was an actor I gave it my 100%, but now I’ve moved ahead. Now, I’m the captain of the ship. Let’s just say, I like giving orders, and not taking it.”

She talks of leading a normal life, and enjoying her freedom. “I go out and do stuff on my own, but over the last two days, I’m finding it tough to accept the sudden, overwhelming attention.”

Despite the mounting pressure, and India’s thirst for Oscar glory, Geetu appears calm. “It’s not about winning the Oscar or not. I always wanted to make good films, and that’s what I’m doing. The rest is just the icing on a big cake, and it’s just that the icing is getting richer and more luscious,” she quips.