Kavi running the oscar race

As usual this year’s Oscar nominations have come up with the usual expectations with a few pleasant surprises. An interesting entry to the best short film category is Kavi. It’s a short film made on slavery in India by Greg Helvey, a student at the University of Southern California.

My emotions about this are mixed- on one side I was proud to see a film based on India again in the Oscars, while, on the other part of my head, a question irritates- why is this face of India getting maximum publicity? From Apu Trilogy through Slumdog to the more recent Kavi– they all depict poverty in India. I understand poverty is the greatest struggle for most residing in the country, but the way poverty is selling in the outside world somehow makes me uncomfortable.

Generally, human mind is always amazed by things it has not seen. Foreigners notice these when they watch such films and are amazed, amidst the colors, music and traditions of India. And hence the recognition such films get. I can only hope that this movement takes Indian cinema to greater heights and does something to solve the issues they depict. Kavi has a better concept than Slumdog– it’s realistic and hence, makes much more sense.