Indira Dhar’s Putul is the first Bengali film to contend for the Best Picture Oscar

Indira Dhar’s Putul garnered a position in the Reminder lists of eligible productions published by the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences. It essentially means the Bengali film can now compete in the Best Picture category for the 97^th🔯 Academy Awards. It’s one of 207 titles found eligible for the race. The eligibility has certain prerequisites, including a minimum nine-day theatrical run in at least one of the six major US metropolitan areas.

Putulꦗ being in contention marks the first time a Bengali film is in the bunch, even if it’s quite a sizeable one. Circling the stories of street children in India, the film has been directed as well as produced by Dhar. It’s her debut feature that took five years to make. The ensemble cast includes Tanushree Shankar, Mumtaz Sorcar, Sujan Mukherjee and Konineeca Bandopadhyay. The film intercuts the journeys of two mothers, one struggling to raise her children on the streets, the other in a high-rise.

Putul screened at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival’s Marche du Film. It’s the festival’s market, where registered titles may vie to find a solid producing partner or distributor. Collaborations and co-productions are forged here, business deals inked. Talking about the film’s demanding journey, Dhar said, "The past five years were extremely difficult—not having any large budgets or international producers on board to fund the film was very challenging, shooting ﷽the film also came with its set of challenges. The film delves into the lives of street children in India, which required us to shoot on the streets. But I'm very grateful that everything worked out eventually. I wish for India to shine bright at the 97th Academy Awards."

There are six other Indian films that have been deemed eligible for Best Picture consideration. It’s a mix of behemoths like Prithviraj-starrer survival drama Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life (Malayalam), Suriya’s fantasy epic Kanguva (Tamil), unabashed propaganda Swatantrya Veer Savarkar (Hindi). The rest are beloved indie names: Sandhya Suri’s Santosh (also UK’s official Oscar submission), Shuchi Talati’s Sundance hit Girls Will Be Girls (English-Hindi), Payal Kapadia’s history-making All We Imagine As Light (Malayalam-Hindi).

✅Of course, any film aiming for Oscar chances needs formidable marketing muscle. It’s a game where lobbying, riding on sizeable investment, is key. How much visibility does the film command? Is the title wholly unfamiliar to the Academy members? How legible is it to US audiences? Campaigning is a beast of its own. Successful films kick-start their canvassing several months before nominations are announced.

🌄It's a mighty expensive race. The rules are pretty clear for anyone attempting to angle in. Immense capital, a favourable studio backing, PR overdrive and significant recognition in the US are imperative. Late entrants to the race are confronted with body blows of trying to navigate, dredge up resources and mobilize interest to their ends. Without a solid US distributor that has connections at its disposal, ratcheting a nomination is virtually impossible.

There are ten spots in the Best Picture category. Till date, only seventeen non-English titles have been nominated, one winning (Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite). Each of these films has had spectacularly long journeys stretched over the full breadth of the award season, before grabbing the coveted nomination. All We Imagine As Light seems certain to pick one, with its global acclaim and the backing of market-savvy US distributors like Janus and Sideshow. Therefore, Putul 𓂃has to reckon with major, established players to carve out a spot for itself.