Oscars 2024: “2018”, blockbuster Malayalam film starring Tovino Thomas, to be India’s official entry.

Delhi: The Film Industry Federation of India said on Wednesday that the Malayalam film, 2018, based on the Kerala floods, has been chosen as India’s official submission to the Academy Awards in 2024 as a representation of the overall negative effects of climate change.Jude Anthany Joseph is the director of the multi-starrer film, which tells the tale of how individuals managed to survive the state’s terrible floods. The film features Tovino Thomas, Aparna Balamurali, Tanvi Ram, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Narain and Lal in significant roles.  

The movie had to compete with more than 20 films to emerge as the winner for the nomination. Other movies in the race were, The Kerala Story (Hindi), Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway (Hindi), Balagam (Telugu),Vaalvi (Marathi), Baaplyok (Marathi) and August 16, 1947 (Tamil).

Tovino said in a statement, “Being chosen as India’s official entry for the Oscars is truly an incredible recognition for our film. It’s not just a moment of pride for me as an actor , but for the entire team that poured their heart and soul into this project. 2018 is a reflection of the resilience and indomitable spirit of the people of Kerala in the face of one of the most devastating natural disasters of our time. Through the film, we aim to remind everyone that amidst the chaos and destruction, there is always a glimmer of hope, and it’s the human spirit that shines the brightest. This nomination serves as a shining example of our collective efforts, and I am hopeful that it will resonate with the international audience, just as it did with our own.”

Kunchacko Boban, who played one of the key roles in the film, said “It’s a moment of pride for us. It was wonderful shooting for it and the film broke all records in Kerala. Globally, ‘2018’ was lauded by people and broke many milestones. It documented the emotions of the people, which is why it was relatable to many. Since, it is a real story, it managed to reach wider audience.”

Released in May this year, 2018 is the highest earning Malayalam film of all time and one of Indian cinema’s top earners in 2023 so far. Made at a budget of around Rs 30 crore, the film made a total of Rs 92.85 crore in its lifetime at the Indian box office. The film raked in Rs 180.03 crore at the worldwide box office