'We have high hopes'

Bollywood film Barfi! has got an official entry to the Oscars, and actor Ranbir Kapoor said he has high hopes from the film even though at the moment it has not reached the nomination stage.

“We are not nominated yet. Once we do, the feeling will come. We have a lot of faith and hope from the film,” said Ranbir. The Film Federation of India (FFI) shortlisted some critically acclaimed films, including Paan Singh Tomar and Kahaani, but Barfi! was selected to represent India in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

Ranbir seemed elated by this achievement, but said it was a bigger achievement that the film had been loved by the audience. “It feels great, but the greater feeling is that the audience is liking the film and it’s doing great at the box office,” he said.

The actor said he had not expected the film to perform so well. “It has reached people’s hearts. Both, the love that the film has got and the collections, show this. We really didn’t expect it to reach that far,” he said. The film has managed to cross Rs 60 crore at the box office, but when asked about joining the 100 crore club, the actor said jovially, “I want to cross 500 crore, everyone crosses 100 crore.”

So far in the history of Indian cinema, only three Bollywood films, including Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957), Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay (1988) and Ashutosh Gowariker’s
Lagaan (2001), have made it to the nomination stage. Directed by Anurag Basu, Barfi! features Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D'Cruz among others.