MUMBAI:

Canada-based Indian filmmaker Deepa Mehta says she was stunned by news that her Water, which faced several hurdles, has been short-listed for the Oscars in the best foreign film category.

“I can’t believe that a film, which was shunned by a section of the Indian politicians and ripped apart six years ago, has come so far,” Mehta said from Toronto.

According to Mehta, the competition this year is really tough. “I’ve never seen a wider and more prestigious variety of films from across the world being nominated for the foreign language category. They’re all super, brilliant films and I’m honoured to be in such august company. Now maybe... just maybe, we will win the Oscar.”

Out of the 61 entries, Mehta’s Water, about the plight of widows in India in the 1930s, starring Lisa Ray and John Abraham, was selected as one of the nine films in the prestigious category.

Mehta’s only regret is that Rang De Basanti, which is one of her favourite films, got left out. “I really wanted it to be in the nominations. But I suppose two Hindi films, even if they were representing two different countries, were out of the question.”