FILM 'NEWTON' FOR 'OSCAR'.???

It is disturbing that film 'Newton' was announced as our India's official entry for 'Oscar's 'Best Foreign Language Film'! This Hindi movie is copied or adapted from Iranian film 'Secret Ballot'; That mean plot is not original, so eligibility is questioned!

International awards winner Iranian film 'Secret Ballot' (2001) is written & directed by Babak Payami. It focused on the struggle of election officer in collecting votes on remote region. Notable thing is this main character greatly played by female artist Nassim Abdi!..And Just released Amit Masurkar's Hindi movie 'Newton' also took the same plot. Here focus is on the polling clerk's work on election duty in naxal area. This male protagonist played by Rajkumar Rao!

Filmmaker Babak Payami.

Filmmaker Amit Masurkar.

Notable that 'Secret Ballot' was second film of Babak Payami and 'Newton' is also second film of Amit Masurkar. Both the filmmakers are using satire genre! Babak Payami's cinematic work is more experimental in use of light and camera..which avoid close-ups of single character and takes long shots of people & sights! 

And Amit Masurkar's style seems thrilling with fast movement of camera which takes unnecessary close-ups of character played by Rajkumar who never act & speak naturally! Compare to him Iranian artist Nassim Abdi performed her role very effectively with natural expressions..and her struggle touched the heart!

Now the surprising thing is that Masurkar not even mentioned the fact that his film 'Newton' is inspired from Babak Payami's Iranian film 'Secret Ballot'! Just upset!!


- Manoj Kulkarni
['Chitrasrushti', Pune, India]