In Oscars, 3 cheers for India

India's official entry in this year's Oscars, Eklavya , may have failed to make the grade but the country still made its presence felt at the 80th Annual Academy Awards.

Two films that walked away with statuettes had significant Indian contributions. The Golden Compass won the award for best special effects, while Ratatouille was adjudged the best animated feature film.

Around 150 artists from the animation company Rhythm & Hues in Mumbai worked on Compass along with FX specialists from their LA office. On Monday, as the awards were announced, celebrations erupted in both countries.

In LA, another Indian had reason to rejoice. Apurva Shah, an animation artist who has roots in Gujarat, was not only overall in charge of all the special effects and animation in Ratatouille, he was also involved in defining the look of the film. “It’s great to win an Oscar,” Shah told TOI over phone from LA.

The third Indian to make a mark was filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, whose Elizabeth: The Golden Age received an Oscar for costume design.

News Source : Samachar