We all are dream chasers : Irrfan Khan

New Delhi: Actor Irrfan Khan, who plays the lead in Ritesh Batra's 'The Lunchbox', today expressed his disappointment with the jury's decision of not choosing the film as India's official entry for the Oscars next year, saying 'they should have done a good job'.

Irrfan, 46, who also co-produced the critically acclaimed movie, said it had the capacity to connect with the world audience.

"Whatever the responsibility of the body is, they should have done a good job. I am just disappointed as it was a film with a new language and has the capacity to connect with the world audience. That film was unique in its own way."

"If that film would have got proper importance then we should have said that you (jury) are giving right signal to upcoming talents, who are trying to make innovation in film language. 'Madras Cafe' and 'Ship of Theseus' are also the films with new language. They also have the capability to connect with the universal audience," Irrfan told PTI.

The Film Federation of India-appointed committee, which was headed by veteran filmmaker Goutam Ghose, chose Gujarati film 'The Good Road' for Oscars 2014.

Irrfan is not the only member from the film who has expressed his disappointment. Producers Anurag Kashyap, Karan Johar and director Batra had lashed out at the selection committee for their decision.

The actor was in the capital to launch a book by Secretary of Gujarat Tourism Vipul Mittra 'The Dream Chasers'.

Irrfan also feels that he is chasing his dreams with each of his film projects. "We all are dream chasers. I am delighted that Vipulji called me to introduce his book to the world. When I read the book it reminded me of my days in NSD (National School of Drama). I am jealous of writers like him because I lost many girlfriends as I couldn't express my feelings beautifully in love letters," he said.

With 'The Lunchbox', the National-award winning actor had also made a comeback to the romance genre after the 2009 film 'Billu'.

"I always wanted to do love stories as I didn't get much chance to do a romantic film. My idea of romance is completely different. I did 'The Lunchbox' because I knew that I will be able to touch many hearts with my film," he said.

The film is a romantic sojourn of a cynical government employee, who falls in love with a lonely housewife via exchange of letters hidden inside wrong delivery of lunchbox.

THE LUNCHBOX has great chance of winning at Oscars : Karan Johar

Ritesh Batra's THE LUNCHBOX has a great chance of being nominated for the Best Film in a Foreign Language category of the Academy Awards and also winning the Oscar statuette according to Karan Johar, the co-producer and Indian presenter of the film. However, this can only happen if the film gets the nod of those who form the selection committee of the Film Federation of India (FFI) and the umbrella body finally picks up THE LUNCHBOX as India's official Oscar entry.

Karan Johar is quite gung-ho about the film's prospects for the fact that it is a Cannes Critics' Week selection and has big brands of global sales and distribution like The Match Factory. It will also be supported by previous Oscar winners like Marc Baschet and Danis Tanovic who are its co-producers. However, the most crucial factor from Oscar perspective is that the North American distribution rights of THE LUNCHBOX have been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics and they are also looking at the film as a potential Oscar winner and will do their best to publicize and promote it to the voting members of the Academy according to Karan and Guneet Monga.

As a feel-good romantic comedy and a low budget independent film involving common people, the film suits the sensibilities of the Academy members if we go by the list of foreign language Oscar winning films of the past. The reactions to the film after its Cannes Critics' week premiere were quite enthusiastic as well. The Critics' Week director Charles Tesson had described it to a reporter as a film that 'marks a departure from traditional Bollywood melodramas that make up the bulk of Indian production. It's a refreshing and utterly charming comedy that could have been made in Hollywood.'

The reviewers of the leading American film trade magazines had also appreciated it. Michael Barker and Tom Bernard of Sony Pictures Classics had paid glowing tributes to the film and had said, ''THE LUNCHBOX is one of those enchanting movies that will have audiences and critics floating on air. We are so happy to be bringing this movie to the American public. This movie represents the birth of a major international filmmaker.''

After watching 'D-Day', Big B speechless!

• Mumbai, July 19 (IANS) Amitabh Bachchan, one of the finest performers in Hindi movies, says that he had such a wonderful experience watching Nikhil Advani's spy thriller "D-day" that he is unable to comment on it.
  
  Big B watched the film at a special screening Thursday.
  
  "I had a wonderful experience watching the film and it will take me a lot of time to gather and understand my emotions and feelings for the film. Right now, I have no words to express my feelings for the film," said the 70-year-old actor here at the screening.
  
  "Everybody has done a brilliant job. Writers, director, music and all the actors have been wonderful," he added.
  
  Released Friday, "D-Day" features Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan, Arjun Rampal, Huma Qureshi and Shruti Haasan in pivotal roles.