Dasara and Balagam in race for India’s official entry to Oscars 2024

A 17-member committee, headed by filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli, are finalising a film set to head for Oscars 2024. The selection process is taking place in Chennai. Out of the 22 films in the final shortlist, two Telugu films, namely Dasara and Balagam, which came out earlier this year, find themselves in the final list. Other films in the list include Ghoomer, Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway, Gadar 2, Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani, Zwigato, Vaalvi, Viduthalai Part 1 and The Kerala Story. 

Balagam, written and directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Venu Yeldandi is a tale of an estranged family coming to terms with the death of a parent in a village. Balagam stars Priyadarshi Pulikonda, Kavya Kalyanram, Sudhakar Reddy, Muralidhar Goud, Roopa Lakshmi and Mime Madhu, among others. Dasara, on the other hand, headlined by Nani and Keerthy Suresh, is written and directed by debut director Srikanth Odela. Set in the late 2000s, the film deals with the themes of love, caste discrimination, and revenge in the town of Veerlapally in Telangana. While Balagam was more realistic in its treatment, Dasara was a mass entertainer. Both films were successful at the box office while receiving appreciation for their authentic depiction of the Telangana milieu.