Top 10 Times When Indians Could Have Won An Oscar

Every artist dreams of winning the golden man with a sword. They sacrifice their life working towards that goal. But only a few make the cut every year and even fewer when you belong to a foreign nation. Indians, who have proved their mettle in every field, winning an Oscar in the best foreign film category almost seems an impossible task. Although a handful has won the Academy Award, the nation which produces thousands of movies ever year still needs to figure out where it is going wrong. Nevertheless, there were times when Indians came close to winning, and so we present you our top 10 times when Indians could have won an Oscar.

1. Mehboob Khan Mehboob Khan was a pioneer producer-director of Hi >> Read More...

The Director of ‘Mother India,’ he lost by one vote to Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria at the thirtieth academy awards. The disappointment was evident. Mother India won many Filmfare awards, and Nargis the protagonist became the first Indian to win an award at the Karlovy Vary film festival (Czech Republic).

2. Ashutosh Gowariker Ashutosh Gowariker was born 15 February 1964 in Ko >> Read More...

The critically acclaimed ‘Lagaan,’ lost to ‘No man’s land’ at the seventy-fourth Academy awards. Millions had high hopes for this movie, as a film starring Amir Khan Amir Iqbal Khan is a former professional boxer fro >> Read More... never goes wrong. A movie set in the Victorian age of colonial India, it was appreciated around the world and even won several awards except for the Oscar.

3. Ashwin Kumar Ashwin Kumar is an actor and writer who is known f >> Read More...

‘Little Terrorist’ was nominated in the Best short subject category at the Oscars in 2005. It had a small budget with the main cast acting for the first time. It went on to win several awards in Almeria, Manhattan, and Montreal. Even though Ashwin lost the Oscar, his hard work was not left unnoticed.

4. Deepa Mehta Deepa Mehta makes such pretty movies, when watchin >> Read More...

‘Water,’ an Indo-Canadian venture was the final instalment of the elements trilogy of Mehta. It deals with the lives of widows in an Ashram in Varanasi. Set in colonial India, it raises the questions of misogyny and ostracism. Although it didn’t win an Oscar, it still has many awards in its kitty.

5. Mira Nair Mira Nair, a veteran Filmmaker, based in New York >> Read More...

An Indian American director, she is known for making films on the Indian society. ‘Salaam Bombay,’ was her first feature film and was nominated for the Oscars. Although it lost to Pelle, the Conqueror, the film is a milestone in the Indian film industry

6. Vidhu Vinod Chopra Vidhu Vinod Chopra is a classic filmmaker, who has >> Read More... And K. K. Kapil

They directed a documentary, ‘An encounter with faces.’ It got a nomination for the Best Documentary short subject category at the Oscars. The documentary deals which the plight of destitute children and although it lost at the Oscars, it won at the Tampere Film Festival.

7. Bombay Jayashri Jayashri Ramnath or Bombay Jayashri, as she is kno >> Read More...

She is a well-known Carnatic music vocalist and composer. Her song was given a nomination for the Best Original Song for Pi’s Lullaby in ‘The Life of Pi.’ Even though the song surrounds a lot of controversies, it was well received and has popular among the music addicts.

8. A. R. Rahman A. R. Rahman is a Legendary Music Composer, promin >> Read More...

He is the first and the only Indian till date to win two Oscars. Many are unaware that he was nominated again for his music in ‘127 hours.’ Known as the Mozart of India, he lost the Best original score and the best Original song at the Eighty-third Academy awards.

9. Pandit Ravi Shankar Born on April 7, 1920, in Banaras, Uttar Pradesh, >> Read More...

He was the most popular composer of Hindustani Classical music who died in 2012. He gave music for Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi. Although Bhanu Athaiya won an Academy Award for Gandhi, Pandit Ravi Shankar lost.

10. Ismail Merchant Ismail Merchant was an Indian Director and Produce >> Read More...

Born in India, he soon shifted to London and was a well-known film producer and director. He has won six Academy Awards and at the same time lost quite a few. His films have received mostly positive reviews and are a must watch for every movie buff. He lost the Oscar on several occasions, the thirty-third, fifty-ninth, sixty-fifth, sixty-sixth.