Malayalam film Jallikattu is India’s official entry to the Best International Feature Film category of the 93rd Academy Awards.
The film beat out 26 other films, including The Disciple, Shakuntala Devi, Chhapaak, Eeb Allay Ooo!, Serious Men, Bulbbul and Gunjan Saxena.
Released in Kerala in October 2019, Jallikattu was premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, where it received critical acclaim. Pellissery won the best director award at the 50th International Film Festival of India for the film.
Jallikattu is the second Malayalam film to be entered for the Oscars, after Adaminte Makan Abu in 2011. Zoya Akhtar’s musical drama Gully Boy was last year’s entry.
The film, which derives its name from the popular-yet-controversial bull-taming event from the south, is based on a short story by Hareesh. It features actors Antony Varghese, Chemban Vinod Jose, Sabumon Abdusamad and Santhy Balachandran.
