Who speaks for all of us?

I must admit to a complete lack of knowledge when it comes to Indiarsquos many regional film industries I am somewhat familiar with where great cinema comes from the South obviously and as far away from Juhu or Versova as possible but I wouldnrsquot be able to make specific comments about the biggest films of the past decade or so I probably would have paid more attention if access to anything other than Hindi cinema was easier while I was growing up but the Internet wasnrsquot around so I can only blame my lack of interest on the world being smaller thenWhat I do take an interest in perversely I suppose is what India chooses to officially pick as representative of the countryrsquos best efforts whenever annual calls for Oscar nominations are put forth lsquoThis is the best we can dorsquo their choices proclaim year after year and I am almost always compelled to ask lsquoReally There was nothing betterrsquoIt works almost like clockwork by now which may sound like a compliment but isnrsquot Everyone knows the drill There will be speculative columns published by a few film journalists suggestive comments by rabid fans online and an ultimate official choice that lets everyone down This is followed by headscratching or outrage sometimes provoked by the sheer obtuseness on display Eklavya The Royal Guard and Barfi were supposedly the best we could do in 2007 and 2012 respectively and sometimes because the whole exercise seems almost deliberate Itrsquos as if the powers that be go out of their way to sabotage a countryrsquos chances To talk about political and vested interests is easy but we shouldnrsquot dismiss oldfashioned stupidity eitherCompare our offerings with just some of the films that have won in recent yearsmdashThe Great Beauty Italy Amour Austria The Lives of Others Germany Roma Mexico mdash and the Oscars begin to resemble a version of the Olympics that other global competition where we rarely win anything and not because our sportspeople arenrsquot capableFor those who have been paying attention to this topic this yearrsquos inhouse drama was unsurprising Many believed there was an obvious potential winner and watched in horror as the film was sidelined without an explanation There could have been valid reasons for the exclusion of course because itrsquos not as if we are all aware of what the nomination process entails but no one was told what those reasons were It was the dismissal of popular wisdom by a bunch of strangers in a room that was so galling and that was before everyone found out that the juryrsquos citation had begun by describing Indian women as lsquoa strange mixture of submission and dominancersquoWho are these men and how do they speak for a country Are the final choices vetted by an independent body before being announced Do we get to figure out if ties between producers and politicians exist These arenrsquot exactly farfetched questions in a democracy because the arts are or should be treated as an essential aspect of our culture Then again maybe Irsquom missing something obvious what with my not being a filmmaker or part of the industry Maybe these annual choices are strategic and well thoughtout made by people who know best What I canrsquot seem to shake is the notion that someone always benefits from these choices and itrsquos never the artists who shouldI acknowledge that the fuss will be deemed embarrassing if Indiarsquos choice someday wins an Oscar Until that day comes however I believe we should encourage the act of questioning because it appears to have been snuffed out over the past decade There has to be an overhaul of how bodies in charge of putting together nominations for anything are empowered There should be an insistence on transparency and discussions about representation because these issues matter not just to us but to those who come after us At the very least there should be someone at hand to tell us why one film is chosen over another in as simple a manner as possible because the usual arguments about aesthetics and subjectivity donrsquot work when the act of representation involves a country as vast and diverse as this oneHaving said that I am aware of how dated the notion of transparency has become Itrsquos because we are complacent Why will someone tell us about a movie in a country where even the lynching of citizens no longer merits a press conferenceWhen he isnrsquot ranting about all things Mumbai Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet He tweets lindsaypereiraSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper