Acting on conscience

US & Indian film awards reflect contrasting states of democracy

The annual Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards, better known as the Oscars, are a much-anticipated event because they are perceived to be the gold standard of movie-making. Over the past half century, however, many actors and directors have used this glittering global platform to express their, mostly dissident, views — not without some discomfiture for the organisers. Compare this with banal and tepid Indian movie awards, where artistes rarely do more than thank god and sundry relatives and associates. In a country as intensely political as India, it is inconceivable that the film world does not hold