Finally, the movie that will be representing the Indian cinema at the Oscars early next year has been announced.

You may be in for a bit of a surprise when you hear that it is Vidhu Vinodh Chopra’s Eklavya - The Royal Guard. You are right, the very same movie which was termed a damp squib when it released early this year.

That too, in spite of having actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Vidya Balan in the lead. But then, that is the way it has always been. There seems to be a strange affinity, by the selection committees, to opt for films that gave nothing but a lot of expectations. This is not to say that Eklavya is a below par product or that there were other movies that deserved better. The highly informed and experienced jury might have been right in their decision to pick Eklavya from the lot but this certainly reflects the wide gap between the tastes of the elite and the common man. The gap is certainly wide and sharp - almost as sharp as the much talked about urban rural divide.

Look at the previous two Oscar nominees from India. Deepa Mehta’s Water and Amol Palekar’s Paheli which starred Shah Rukh Khan. Both these films had one thing in common; they didn’t do anything of note at the box office. The common trend cannot escape notice. The last commercially successful movie to make it to the Oscars was Lagaan. Then again we have to admit that our knowledge of cinema and ‘what sells at the Oscars’ is pretty limited. Consequentially we must pay due respect to the decision that the panel has taken and wish Vidhu Vinodh Chopra and Eklavya all the best. Last time around when Lagey Raho Munna Bhai missed out being the official nominee he decided that he would enter it independently. This time he has a direct shot, may the force be with him.