A film on menstruation, Period End Of Sentence set in India wins at the Oscars

Finally India has done it at the Oscars. A ‘period’ film unlike Lagaan, Devdas or Baahubali, entitled Period End Of Sentence has won the Oscar in the Best Short Documentary category.

Though this film about menstrual hardships in rural India is not technically an Indian  film, its director Rayka Zehtabchi is an Iranian-American and its producer Melissa Burton is American Period End Of Sentence is about empowering the rural Indian women, and its co-producer Guneet Monga is an Indian.

So let’s applaud our first victory at the Oscars since Resul Pookutty won the trophy in 2008 for Slumdog Millionaire.

Some of  the major Oscars this year were a welcome swerve into the unexpected. The best actress Oscar has not gone to Glenn Close for her overrated performance in The Wife but to Olivia Coleman for her delightful turn as a sexually active somewhat daft queen of England whose rule would have gone unnoticed were it not for Coleman’s dazzling performance in The Favourite.

The Oscar for best actor has been given to the Egyptian actor Rami Malek for that hyped over-rated performance as musical legend Freddie Mercury in Bohemian  Rhapsody. Sadly the more meritorious and Oscar worthy rock-stadia musical A Star Is Born, featuring the very exceptional Brad Cooper and Lady Gaga, which was  outstanding on every level has been largely snubbed by the  Oscars.

Rather go gaga over the singer of the song ‘Radio Gaga’ than honour Lady Gaga, eh?

Rami Malek’s relatively mediocre performance being honoured by an Oscar for best actor was matched by Mahershala Ali’s triumph in the best supporting actor category as a sophisticated gay pianist in The Green Book.

Though I thoroughly approve of The Green Book getting the Oscar for best picture, the award in the performing category should have gone to Viggo Mortensen as the African pianist’s chauffeur in The Green Book.

Mortensen is terrific all the way, far superior to Rami Malek’s one-note performance as Mercury. Nothing mercurial about Malek. The same goes for this year’s Oscar winners. No surprises, except the much-touted Black Panther’s complete obliteration among the winners in the major categories.

Just goes to show, hype doesn’t always rule.