Filmfare Awards 2018: The Obvious Choices That Were Shut out

‘Newton’ and Rajkummar Rao were snubbed in the major categories.

Rajkumar Rao in Newton. 

(Photo courtesy: Twitter)

If you’re not the naive 90s Bolly-watcher anymore, the award shows will arouse little curiosity. Today they epitomise a glitz-driven opportunity for TRPs sans inventiveness. Not to mention, an ego-massage for delusional stars.

For some, it’s merely a performance parade ala an elaborate Sangeet soiree. Nomination categories conveniently spring up and disappear unlike the Oscars where the categories have remained constant. Think ‘Impactful Male of the Year’ and ‘Nothing to Hide’ awards in recent ceremonies. If one were to call out the farce, they do everything to pander vested interests but reward excellence. It’s all about celeb turnout and sponsors. Ajay Devgn even went on record once saying “dhanda ho gaya”.

The first Filmfare Award function was held 57 years ago in 1954 popularising the ‘award’ phenomenon. Little wonder then that it’s the most awaited award show that garners credibility in the deluge of award ceremonies, even today.

So, Bollywood’s most ‘prestigious’ film awards, Filmfare Awards unveiled its list of nominations for the year 2018. It’s hardly surprising that some star driven films beat the actor-driven films to make it to the coveted list.

What’s more - the system of ‘popular voting’ makes it easy to shrug off accountability. Even if you’re an award show cynic, the snubs at the Filmfare Awards this year will leave you feeling jaded.

In every sense of the word, Rajkummar Rao owned 2017. With Bareilly ki Barfi, Newton and Trapped to his credit this year, he seemed like the indisputable choice for ‘Best Actor’.

His complete omission from the category confirms the bias towards the Bollywood A-league. Whether a Critics Choice Award waits in the wings for him is yet to be seen. As if the rebuff weren’t enough, the most WTF choice in the section happens to be Hrithik Roshan for Kaabil. But surprisingly and thankfully Bhai didn’t make the cut either!

Film critic Rajeev Masand expressed his dissatisfaction with the nominations on social media.

In another case of India’s official selection for the Academy Awards, Newton, was not nominated in any of the major categories like Best Film or Best Director. Instead, Badrinath Ki Dulhania was nominated in 9 categories. And there’s Toilet Ek Premkatha, a PSA masquerading as a film.

Notwithstanding the politics of the films, the crowd-pleasing mass entertainers have found their spots in the list.

While it’s laudable that an intimate film like A Death in the Gunj was picked for 4 categories, Konkana Sen was kept out of the ‘Best Director’ category ala Greta Gerwig at the Golden Globes.

Filmfare Awards didn’t fail to play it safe though. It paid lip service to films that won global acclaim like Mukti Bhawan, G Kutta Se and Gurgaon with one nomination each and pitted Pankaj Tripathi against Rajkummar Rao in the Best Supporting Actor Category. Everybody goes home with something.

Insert confetti explosion on an ostentatious stage!

(We Indians have much to talk about these days. But what would you tell India if you had the chance? Pick up the phone and write or record your Letter To India. Don’t be silent, tell her how you feel. Mail us your letter at [e-mail]. We’ll make sure India gets your message.)