“I love the energy of Rang De Basanti so much,” said Deepa Mehta, reacting to reports that ‘Water’ has pipped ‘RDB’ in the Oscars race for the Best Foreign Film category. Mehta’s ‘Water’ is about the plight of widows in India in the 1930s. Starring Lisa Ray and John Abraham, ‘Water’ has been lauded by the likes of Steven Speilberg as “one of the best films” he has seen this century. This nomination is also going to benefit Abraham’s chances of making a breakthrough in the West.

‘Water’ is being pitted against films like the Algerian film ‘Days of Glory’, Danish film ‘After the Wedding’, ‘the French ‘Avenue Montaigne’, the German ‘Lives of Others’, the Mexican ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, the Dutch ‘Black Book’, the Spanish ‘Volver’, and the Swiss ‘Vitus’. Mehta still can’t believe that this film which almost didn’t get made six years ago when the fascist forces in India stopped its filming in Varanasi has come so far. It remains to be seen if ‘Water’ manages to do what Mehboob Khan’s ‘Mother India’ and Ashutosh Gowarikar’s ‘Lagaan’ couldn’t. What’s your opinion? Do let us know…