Earlier, we reported about director Abhishan Jeevinth's Tourist Family getting into the Oscar General Entry List, thus becoming eligible for consideration at the 98th Academy Awards. The latest Tamil film to follow Tourist Family's path is director Tamil Dhayalan's Gevi, starring Sheela Rajkumar, Aadhavan, Vivek Mohan, and Charles Vinoth, among others. Set in real location, the hills of Gevi, the film follows a family's arduous journey downhill as they try to take a pregnant woman to a hospital. The film explores systemic oppression in the garb of a survival thriller.
The other Indian films that are eligible for Oscar consideration are Sister Midnight, Mahavatar Narasimha, Kantara: Chapter 1, Homebound, and Tanvi The Great. As reported recently, Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound is part of the shortlist for a Best International Feature Film Oscar that comprises 15 films.
The other day, the makers of the film expressed their delight at gaining eligibility for the prestigious recognition and made their campaign intentions clear. "We are moving forward with a focused campaign to bring this untold story of survival and justice to the world," the makers wrote on Instagram.
Director Tamil Dhayalan's film hit theatres in July last year. At the time, in our review, Sreejith Mullappilly wrote, "While the film offers its messages with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, its bluntness keeps it from becoming problematic at any point. Somewhere in Gevi, there is a subtle suggestion that the community is partly to blame for their own status quo, but Tamil Dhayalan’s sensitive direction keeps it in safe territory."
Coming back to Oscar, the Academy is set to announce the full list of nominees later this January.