With 'Newton' (Hindi) missing the Oscar race (it has failed to secure a nomination in the Best Foreign Film category), many on the social media are of the opinion that the jury must have rejected it because its story is a "copy" of the Iranian film 'Secret Ballot'.

"Oscar's jury is not that stupid to select #NEWTON because it was a picture to picture copy of Iranian film Secret Ballot," says @Fazal17Khan on Twitter.

When it was alleged widely in September that the engaging drama is an unacknowledged copy of 'SB', filmmaker Anurag Kashyap came to its defense. "With over-enthusiastic media and our cinephiles with an overactive imagination who called 'Newton' a copy of 'Secret Ballot'. Here is what the producer of 'Secret Ballot' said to me after watching 'Newton'. Marco Muller, the producer told me that it's a pretty decent film, definitely no rip off from his film ("even if the general concept is the same"). Below is the screenshot of our conversation," he said.

Director Hansal Mehta, reacting to the failure of 'Netwon' to secure a nomination, says, "Am tempted to use unparliamentary language with all those who are rejoicing and trolling me on the fact that Newton did not make it to the Oscars. Oscars or no Oscars it remains one of the finest films made in our country in a long time.'