The wait is finally over. Director Rakeysh Mehra's Rang de Basanti is India's nomination for the Oscars.
The selection committe, headed by Basu Chatterjee, was looking for a film that reflected the contemporary Indian scenario and had the cinematic excellence to stand its own on the international stage.
In addition, the film had to be good enough to market itself, commanding more than just a cursory viewing by the Oscar's jury.
Well, that's where Aamir Khan's lobbying skills from the Lagaan days might come handy.
Rang De Basanti has not only done well at the box office, it has also won critical acclaim. The film acquired a special place in the hearts and minds of millions of people in the country and abroad.
The Film Federation of India (FFI) started collecting entries in the first week of September and the final selection was declared on Monday evening.
Some of the frontrunners in the race were Omkara, Lage Raho Munnabhai, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and Krrish.
Only three Indian films - Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay (1988) and Lagaan (2001) have made it to the short list so far.
Recently, actor Ajay Devgan who was confident about Omkara getting nominated had alleged that a certain lobby was trying to sabotage the prospects of the film by spreading �false information� about the film.
