Can 'Shwas' better 'Lagaan'?

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="39.1%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/863304.cms" alt="/photo/863304.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><span style="" font-size:="">Arun Nalawade being awarded the Best Actor award for </span><span style="" font-size:="" font-style:="" italic="">Shwas</span><span style="" font-size:=""> at the Marathi - Screen Awards 2004.</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal">When Aamir and Ashutosh Gowarikar turned up at the 2002 Oscars, complete with wives and designer suits, India celebrated.Though <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Lagaan </span>missed the foreign film award by a whisker, it did manage to put India on the Oscar map again.<br /><br />And now, all hearts have set their hopes on the low budget Marathi-language film <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Shwas,</span> which has been nominated for coveted Oscar awards in the foreign film category. <br /><br />It becomes the fourth Indian film to make it this far. First was Mehboob Khan’s <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Mother India</span>, then Mira Nair’s <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Salaam Bombay</span> followed after a gap of decades. Gowarikar’s <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Lagaan, </span>marked the next milestone in the Bollywood crossover.<br /><br />No wit is the turn of Sandeep Sawant’s <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Shwas.</span><br /><br />The film has hit the headlines ever since its release in March 2004.<br /><br />The plot is simple enough. The film revolves round the relationship between a man and his grandson, who suffers from ocular cancer. But the simplicity leaves a poignant message, the relationship one of hope and life. <br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script></div> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><img src="/photo/863372.cms" alt="/photo/863372.cms" border="0" /></div> <div class="Normal"><br />There is little of the fantasy that Bollywood is famous for. "Most of my stories are inspired by real life," said Sawant.<br /><br />The decision was taken on Friday by the Film Federation of India after the body held screenings of films in various languages for last three days, producer of this year''s award winning Marathi film, said Arun Nalawade.<br /><br />Nalawade said it was Federation''s President Ramesh Sippy, who informed him about sending <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Shwas</span> for this year''s Oscar entry. <br /><br />"It is unbelievable and I am really overwhelmed... I do not know as what to say," Arun Nalawade, who has also acted in the film, said. "It has reinforced my belief that whatever good is done is appreciated by the people."<br /><br />The film by a debutant team led by Sandeep Sawant has been in news ever since its release in March 2004. Five months and the film has won several awards. It put many a heavyweight entry in the shade in the 51st National Awards, where it won the Best Film award.<br /><br />The film will also represent the country in the Asian Competition section along with Anjan Dutt''s English movie <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Bow Barracks Forever</span>.</div> </div>