Oscar eludes Lagaan; but benefits Star Movies

Lagaan may have lost to No Man's Land at the 75th Academy Awards, but Star Movies certainly reaped the benefits of the frenzy that accompanied the nomination.

The nomination of an Indian film, a rare event in itself, ensured high ratings for the telecast of the Oscars ceremony, for which the channel secured telecast rights earlier this year. Average Indian viewers, who would normally not have bothered to tune in to the Oscars on a manic Monday morning, switched on with their own prayer while waiting for the Best Foreign Film category to be announced. Although the cameras did not train on the film's producer Aamir Khan (attired in an Anand Jon or a Shahab Durazi outfit, finally?) or director Ashutosh Gowariker, viewers got a glimpse of the latter when No Man's Land director Danis Tanovic got up to receive the award.

Khan was gracious enough to tell his team that Lagaan lost out to an equally good, if not better film.

So, even as India consoles itself with the fact that it could at least make it to the nomination stage, Star Movies is one beneficiary that raked in the rewards, with or without an Oscar for India. The ratings should tell.