2018: Tovino Thomas’ Malayalam disaster-drama picked as India’s official entry for Oscars 2024

Malayalam blockbuster 2018: Everyone Is A Hero has been selected as India’s official entry for Oscars 2024. The movie, which has Tovino Thomas, Asif Ali, Aparna Balamurali, Narain and Kunchacko Boban in the lead, will be competing for the Best Foreign Language Film category next year.The 96th Academy Awards is set to be held in Los Angeles, USA, on March 10.

The announcement was made by The Film Federation of India in Chennai on Wednesday. The jury, which was headed by noted filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli, announced they decided to go with the Malayalam film as it showcased a relevant theme of climate change. The movie, helmed by Jude Anthany Joseph, revolved around the rescue efforts of the 2018 Kerala floods that had devastated the State.

Also read: Tovino Thomas’ reaction on 2018’s Oscar entry: ‘This has been the ambition since I started’ | Exclusive 

2018 beats The Kerala Story and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

Incidentally, as many as 22 films were screened for the jury including the controversial The Kerala Story, Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Telugu film Balagam, Rani Mukherjee’s Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway and Marathi movie Vaalvi.

Also read: Tovino Thomas on 2018: It’s a reminder of the time that people supported each other, and not about the disaster 

Last year’s Oscar entry Chello Show failed to make it past the long-list of nominations, even though SS Rajamouli’s RRR and Netflix documentary The Elephant Whisperes made the country proud by bagging the Academy Awards for Best Original Song and Best Documentary Short, respectively.

2018 is the second Malayalam film to be picked for Oscars in the past decade

Incidentally, in the past 12 years, three Malayalam films were picked as India’s official entry to the Oscars. Salim Ahammed’s Adaminte Makan Abu and Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Jallikattu were the entries in 2011 and 2020, respectively. Both movies failed to make the final nominations list.

Meanwhile, 2018, which is currently streaming on Sony LIV, is also the highest grossing Malayalam movie ever. The film, which had done a worldwide business of Rs 200 crore, had hit theatres in May this year.

Also read: 2018 director Jude Anthany Joseph: I think I achieved my aim of being one of the top directors in India 5 years too late