Gadar 2: Sunny Deol’s Film Director Anil Sharma Eyes Oscar Nomination; ‘We Are At It…’
Anil Sharma, the acclaimed director behind the recent box office hit ‘Gadar 2’, has revealed that he's been inundated with calls from enthusiastic fans urging him to submit the film for consideration at the Oscars this year. In an interview with Indian Express, Sharma expressed his belief that both ‘Gadar 2’ and its predecessor, ‘Gadar Ek Prem Katha’, deserved recognition on the global stage of the Academy Awards.
‘Gadar 2’, starring Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, and Utkarsh Sharma, received a mixed critical reception upon its release last month. However, it has undeniably dominated the box office, signaling a triumph for films that typically don't garner awards. Sharma mused on the selection process of award panels, questioning why his films often went unnoticed in the award circuit despite receiving immense love and appreciation from audiences.
“People are calling me repeatedly to send the film to the Oscars. Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) didn’t go, so I don’t know how Gadar 2 will go, but we are at it. But Gadar 2 should go; the film deserves it. Gadar also deserved it. Gadar was based on the 1947 partition, and we told the story in a very different way. It was a new and original story, and Gadar 2 is also a new and original story," Anil told the daily. In that particular year, Aamir Khan's "Lagaan" secured a nomination in the Academy Awards' esteemed Best Foreign Language Film category.
Reflecting on his journey in the film industry, Sharma mentioned Dharmendra's sentiments about feeling disconnected from the industry, a sentiment he shared. He conveyed his sense of fulfillment from the love and admiration of the people, even though his work was not consistently rewarded with awards. “We have touched people’s hearts with Gadar 2. I won’t lie, but even we want awards. But I didn't expect it because I knew that I wouldn’t get it. I hear there is lots of lobbying and PR involved in these things, and I am not a political person. I have never lobbied for awards.”
‘Gadar 2’, directed by Anil Sharma, serves as a sequel to his 2001 classic and features the same lead trio of Sunny, Ameesha, and Utkarsh. The film unfolds against the backdrop of the political tensions preceding the Indo-Pak war in 1971, continuing the saga that began with ‘Gadar Ek Prem Katha’, a poignant love story set during the tumultuous Indo-Pak partition era.
