Vicky Kaushal on 'Sardar Udham' Oscar fiasco: 'Everybody has the right to their opinion'

While Sardar Udham is enjoying its trailblazing success among the Indian audience, the film recently failed to make the cut for Oscars 2022. Talking about the film's rejection, Indraadip Dasgupta, a member of the Film Federation of India (FFI) jury, stated that it portrayed “our hatred towards the British.'' Dasgupta faced flak for his comment, which turned into a controversy. 

Now, Vicky Kaushal, who essays the eponymous revolutionary leader, has expressed his views on the row, stating that 'everyone has a right to their opinion'. In a conversation with Mid Day, Kaushal further iterated that one should respect the decision made by the cinema experts. 

Vicky Kaushal on Sardar Udham's Oscar fiasco

After much deliberation, debutant director PS Vinothraj's Koozhangal has been selected as India's official entry to Oscars 2022. Kaushal mentioned that Sardar Udham's director Shoojit Sircar went 'gung-ho' about the Tamil flick, deeming it the county's best choice to represent cinema on a global platform. He urged everyone to root for the film, hoping it would garner glory for the nation. 

Kaushal also took to his Instagram handle recently to congratulate Nayanthara and Vignesh for their film's selection. "Congratulations Vignesh Sivan, Nayanthara, and Team #Koozhangal! Go for glory!!!" Other films like Vidya Balan's Sherni, Yogi Babu's Tamil movie Mandela, and Martin Prakkat-led Malayalam film Nayattu were also in the run for India's official nomination. 

Sardar Udham showcases Vicky playing the role of the leader who assassinated Michael O' Dwyer, former lieutenant governor of Punjab, in revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919. The actor revealed that he is scouring social media to know netizens' opinions of the flick. He believes the film to have struck a chord with the public, who is further 'recommending it to their friends and family'. Shoojit also mentioned his intent to make a film “as elaborate” like this. His pursuit of curating things slowly and steadily is what provided the base for this film. He maintained that he is happy about making films on his own terms. 

Meanwhile, Kaushal will be seen in director Meghna Gulzar's Sam Bahadur, wherein he will play the role of Army officer Sam Manekshaw. He also has Takht, alongside Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Bhumi Pednekar among others, in the pipeline. 

(IMAGE: Instagram/@vickykaushal09)