Adaminte Makan Abu Oscar dream ends; hope remains on Dam 999

The Malayalam film 'Adaminte Makan Abu' (Abu, son of Adam), India's official entry to the 84th Academy Awards, has been voted out of the shortlist of nominations for the best foreign film Award. The movie could not make it into the final list that comprises of nine films. Adaminte Makan Abu, directed by debutant Salim Ahamed, is a family film featuring an elderly Muslim couple and their struggle to go to Hajj pilgrimage. The movie had been included in the list of 63 entries for the Academy Award for the best Film in Foriegn Language. The film has won many accolades and awards including the national award of 2010. It became only the second movie from Malayalam to run for Oscar upon its selection. The first Malayalam film to have been nominated for Oscar is the Mohanlal starrer Guru.

Nine movies are now in the final list for the Foriegn film Oscar. These are Bullhead (Belgium), Monsieur Lazhar (Canada), Superclásico (Denmark), Pina (Germany), Footnote (Israel), Omar Killed Me (Morocco), In Darkness (Poland) and Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (Taiwan). This list would be further shortened as only five entries will be there in the final set of nominees. Among the selected films, the winner will be decided through the secret ballots.

With the exclusion of Adaminte Makan Abu, India's only remaining presence in this year's Academy Awards has become the Hollywood film 'Dam 999' directed by Sohan Roy, another Keralite. Dam 999 is the drama film revolving around a waning dam built during colonial reign in India. Inspired from the Banqiao dam tragedy, the movie is also centred around nine characters representing each of the Navarasa. The film also examines the tradition of Ayurveda. The movie cast includes Ashish Vidyarthi, Vimala Raman and many Indian and foriegn actors.

Dam 999 has been included in the list of 265 films running for the Best Picture Oscar final nominations. The three songs of the movie have been included in the list of 39 songs competing for the Best Original Song Oscar. The songs are composed by famous Malayalam music director Ouseppachan.

The three songs are 'Dakkanaga Dugu Dugu', 'Mujhe Chhod Ke' and Dam 999 theme song.

The final set of nominations will be announced on 24th January 2012, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre. The Oscar awards presentation ceremony is scheduled on February 26 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.