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quot;Jallikattu" has not been shortlisted among 15 features that will be competing for a spot in the final five in the Best International Feature category at the 93rd Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced on Wednesday. The Malayalam film directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery had been selected as the official entry by the Film Federation of India out of a list of 27 films including The Sky Is Pink, Gulabo Sitabo, Chhapaak, Chhalaang and Shakuntala Devi.

The Academy said that films from 93 countries were eligible for the Best International Feature category and that the final nominations for the Oscars will be announced on March 15. Jallikattu is based on a short story written by S Hareesh named Maoist. The film stars Antony Varghese, Chemban Vinod Jose, Sabumon Abdusamad, Santhy Balachandran and Jaffar Idukki. The film was premiered on September 6, 2019 at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and was critically acclaimed. Mr Pellissery had also won the best director trophy at the 50th International Film Festival of India in 2019.

Meanwhile, short film Bittu directed by Karishma Dev Dube and presented by Tahira Kashyap, Ekta Kapoor and Guneet Monga, has made it to the Best Live Action Short Film shortlist for the Oscars. The movie has been shortlisted among 10 films selected for the category. Other nine films are- Da  Yie, Feeling Through, The Human Voice, The Kicksled Choir, The Letter Room, The Present, Two Distant Strangers, The Van and White Eye.

Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan (2001) was the last film that had made it to the final five in the Best International Feature category while Mother India (1958) and Salaam Bombay(1989) are two other Indian films that had reached the top five category.