22 September,2016 05:16 PM IST | | mid-day online correspondent
Tamil film 'Visaaranai' was on Thursday selected as India's official entry to the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 89th Academy Awards
Tamil film 'Visaaranai' is India's official entry to the Oscars
Tamil film 'Visaaranai' is India's official entry to the Oscars. Pic/Vetrimaaran's Twitter account
Tamil film 'Visaaranai' was on Thursday selected as India's official entry to the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 89th Academy Awards.
The Film Federation of India's jury, headed by filmmaker Ketan Mehta, picked up director Vetrimaaran's film from among 29 movies.
'Visaaranai' was chosen from among 29 entries, including 'Dhanak', 'Udta Punjab', 'Thithi', 'Sairat', 'Umrika', 'Neerja' and 'Nil Battey Sannata'.
Based on the novel 'Lock Up' by auto-rickshaw driver-turned-writer M. Chandrakumar, the film is about organised crime within the police force. It also throws the spotlight on police brutality.
'Visaaranai' features Dinesh Ravi, Anandhi and Aadukalam Murugadoss in lead roles.
"Visaaranai #Anbum #amaithiyum malarathum ('Let love and peace bloom')," Dinesh tweeted in Tamil.
The movie won three honours -- best feature film in Tamil, best supporting actor for Samuthirakani and best editing for Kishore Te -- at the 63rd National Film Awards, held earlier this year.
The film premiered in the Orrizonti (Horizons) section of the 72nd Venice Film Festival, where it won the Amnesty International Italia Award.
The film was produced by Dhanush, who had released the film under his home banner Wunderbar Films.
