Filmmaker Geetu Mohandas is neither on cloud nine nor concerned about lobbying or marketing in Hollywood on a day when her debut feature film Liar’s Dice was selected as India’s Oscar contender in the best foreign film language category.
“I am overwhelmed by the news but not over-excited about it. You feel very good and enjoy a positive energy when people call up to share their joy about the movie getting selected as the nation’s entry for the best foreign language film of the 87th Academy Awards,” she told The Hindu here on Tuesday.
Liar’s Dice has been on a roll on the international festival circuit for the last several months besides winning two national awards it picked up this year, for best actress for Geethanjali Thapa (who played the protagonist, Kamala), and the best cinematographer for Rajeev Ravi (Geetu’s husband). It was premiered in the ‘World Cinema Dramatic Competition’ category at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in Utah and screened at several major fetes across the world.
“It’s been a long journey and years of hard work before Liar’s Dice became a reality. Many people have helped in this creative journey and I want to thank all of them,” said the actress-turned-director, who occupied the director’s chair with the award-winning Malayalam short film Kelkunnundo in 2009.
Asked how she plans to market her movie ahead of the race for the Oscar, Geetu replied in her characteristic style that she would not do any lobbying or marketing to get noticed in Hollywood. “I am confident that the movie would speak for itself,” she said.
The actress began her journey in tinsel town as a child artiste in the movie Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare and went on to play roles in various movies in Malayalam and Tamil before realising and nurturing her innate skills in filmmaking.
A road movie in Hindi on migrant labourers and their exploitation, Liar’s Dice was produced by Jar Pictures, in association with Geetu and Rajeev’s Unplugged. Besides Ms. Geehanjali Thapa, noted actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Manya Gupta played key roles in the movie.
