The Malayalam survival drama ‘2018’, has been announced as India's official bid for the Oscars in 2024. The Jude Anthany Joseph-directed film triumphed over a slew of stiff opponents to represent India at next year's Oscars. The film was inspired by the 2018 Kerala floods, for those who are unaware. ‘2018’ was not only a critical success, but it was also a huge crowd-pleaser. The film, which was inspired by the Kerala floods, struck a chord with the Malayali audience.
The selection committee, led by renowned filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli, chose ‘2018’ as India's official entry for the Academy Awards in 2024. For reference, the Film Federation of India forms an Oscars selection committee each year to choose a film to represent India in the Best International Film category of the Oscars. The film that will represent India on the grand stage this year is ‘2018’.
The film ‘2018’ was inspired by various real-life events that occurred during the Kerala floods. Many of the characters in the film are based on real individuals. When it comes to the film's commercial performance, ‘2018’ did more than just make money; it also became the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time.
Despite the fact that ‘2018’ was a critical and economic success, Jude Anthany Joseph experienced numerous challenges while making the picture. In an interview with Onmanorama, the filmmaker stated, “Two months before the filming began, Anto Joseph said that this was a story that Keralites knew well and that it was a risk to make such a movie. He was ready to make five separate films with the five leading men. He warned me that my career would be ruined if this film was a flop. I assured him I would work hard since my life and career were at stake. I was sure that every Malayali could relate to this story.”
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Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Aparna Balamurali, Sudhessh, Sreeja Ravi, Sreejith Ravi, Narain, and Lal, among others, were assembled by Jude Anthany Joseph to bring the flood events to life. The film was dubbed into Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu in addition to the original Malayalam form. The picture was a tearjerker, and it was released in theatres earlier this year, on May 5, 2023.