Shwaas: India's entry for Oscars

Marathi film Shwaas will be India's entry for the Oscars.

Directed by 36-year-old debutant Sandeep Sawant, Shwaas bagged this year's National Award for Best Film.

Child artiste Ashwin Chitale, who plays a boy about to lose his vision, also earned a National Award for his brilliant performance.

Shwaas is about a villager (Arun Nalawade) who brings his ailing grandson to the town hospital, only to learn the child must undergo a life-saving operation, which may leave him blind.

"I am very happy," Sawant told rediff.com "When I started the film I only had one thing in mind -- that we needed to make a good film that would touch the hearts of people. We worked with motivation. Awards was not on my mind."

He was hopeful that his film would rejuvenate the dying Marathi film industry and that people would come forward and make Marathi films.

"I always felt when people in Mumbai can go to the theatres and see a Bengali film like Chokher Bali, why can't they come and see Marathi films? I hope we draw more audiences in the theatres for Marathi films after we have got an entry to the Oscars for this film."

Was he hopeful about winning the Oscar for best foreign film? "I can always hope for the best," he said.