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Oscar awards

Oscar awardsThe Oscar Academy’s right royal snub of the much-nominated ‘Lincoln’ in the categories of Picture and Director, and not for the first time, once again sours the event’s 85-year history.

In the past, celebrated thespians such as Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole, both British, and nominated more than half a dozen times, respectively, failed to get the judges’ nod.

Mystery film ace Alfred Hitchcock also ended win-less, and so did Sir Laurence Olivier, a fact that will spark intense debate about the way awards are given, ignoring indigenous talent.

Lately, an increasing number of foreigners have been honoured, with last year’s ‘The Artist’, a French language film, walking away with a few Oscars.

Ang Lee’s second Oscar — for ‘Pi’, is nowhere near the directorial brilliance displayed by Steven Spielberg, himself snubbed for Jaws, Close Encounters, Jurassic and ET, until Schindler brought him on to the ‘List’.

The very politically themed Zero Dark Thirty, too, was completely off the radar-again, due to its subject mater deemed to be sensitive.

The Oscar Academy needs to be impartial and not be swayed by lobby groups.