Oscars will let you vote for your favourite movie. Do India's Jai Bhim and Marakkar qualify?

Upset that your favourite movie did not make the cut at the Oscars 2022? Disappointed that Jai Bhim or Spider Man: No Way Home or Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham haven't been nominated in any categories? Well, the Academy is now giving you the chance to vote by tweeting your favourite movie with the hashtags: #OscarsFanFavorite and #Sweepstakes. 

Vote for your to favorite movie of 2021 for a chance to win a trip to the 95th #Oscars in 2023.Vote up to 20 times per day until 3/3 by tweeting your movie pick with #OscarsFanFavorite & #Sweepstakes or by visiting https://t.co/HjaTjZfexf. pic.twitter.com/rsu45WkxXh

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) February 14, 2022

The announcement comes after the release of the Oscar nominations raked in massive criticism and backlash for its lukewarm level of inclusivity, and for missing out on some of the biggest blockbusters of the year. (READ MORE HERE: Oscar nominations are out but are Academy Awards in 2022 inclusive?)

CONTEST RULES: Starting February 15 (India), Twitter users can now post as many times as they want about their favourite movie (The Academy recommends 20 times a day) with the hashtags, and if the movie wins, it will be recognised at the Oscars on March 27. The closing date for this Twitter contest is March 3. 

The Academy specifies that your Twitter account should be public, both hashtags must be included as part of your Tweet in order to be eligible and you should be following the Academy's Twitter account.

NOW, THE BIG BUT: ONLY legal residents of the US, Columbia, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, who are above 18, can participate in this contest.

SO...: If you are a resident of India but have friends or family in the US, you can ask them to log in to the Academy's website and submit their picks. 

Other than that, 3 Twitter users will be selected, along with their guests, to have an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to present an Oscar in 2023.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR INDIA: Although only residents in the US are eligible to vote, this contest gives widely loved movies such as Jai Bhim and Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham a fighting chance at the Oscars. 

India's submission to the Oscars this year were snubbed, to say the very least. While India's documentary film submission Writing With Fire has been nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category, Suriya's Jai Bhim's snub left a sore spot in all its fans. 

Jai Bhim earned a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and has been ranked 9.3 on IMDB. Written and directed by TJ Gnanavel, Jai Bhim has been regarded as one of the biggest hits of 2021 in India.

Based on a real-life legal battle fought by Justice Chandru in 1993, the movie brought forth issues like custodial torture and caste discrimination into the light. The movie was released on Amazon Prime Video. (READ MORE HERE: Vanniyar Sangam is right. Suriya's Jai Bhim should really worry you)

While Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham did not garner the same fame Jai Bhim did, the movie did not fall behind in terms of storyline and direction. Directed by Priyadarshan, Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham scored a 6.2 on IMDB.

In its essence, Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham features a naval chief who wages a war against the Portuguese on behalf of the Kingdom of Cochin. Mohanlal-starrer Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham also released on Amazon Prime Video. 

The Oscars have also included American-comedy drama, India Sweets and Spices in its official qualifying list for this contest. Featuring a South-Asian cast, including Manisha Koirala and Adil Hussain, the movie focuses on the protagonist, Alia's return home for the summer from college and discovering secrets about her parents' past. Its entire storyline strongly focuses on Indian culture. 

Directed by Geeta Malik, the movie has a rating of 6 on IMDB and and 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie is based on Geeta Malik's own script Dinner With Friends which won the 2016 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in screen-writing. India Sweets and Spices had a theatrical release in the US and is not available to watch in India. 

With the contest being open to the American public and being based on voting, all three movies stand a fair chance at gaining much-deserved recognition at the Oscars. 

MOVIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY TRENDING: Since the announcement on the night of February 14, 3 movies have taken the centrestage in the contest. Here are all of them: 

1. SPIDER MAN: NO WAY HOME

Spider-Man: No Way Home definitely is my #OscarsFanFavorite I mean, we have 3 Spiders, Benedict Cucumber, Zendaya and freaking Willem Dafoe in the same movie, it IS the movie of the year. pic.twitter.com/Dzpey9oBLL

— 18/53 (@edgarmarquesm) February 14, 2022

2. TICK TICK BOOM

just give tick tick boom the oscar that it deserves#OscarsFanFavorite pic.twitter.com/VmbKYwNg5v

— spiritofmysilence✨ (@spiritofmysile1) February 14, 2022

3. THE SUICIDE SQUAD

Do you want to see #TheSuicideSquad be recognized at the Oscars?The film that receives the most votes from fans with the hashtag will be recognized during the broadcast of the gala on March 27.THE SUICIDE SQUAD with the label of #OscarsFanFavorite on the comments #Sweepstakes pic.twitter.com/fcQ77mTKlv

— Peacemaker...what a joke?️? (@EdwardChaseII) February 14, 2022

So get on Twitter and start voting for your favourite movies! 

Here is the official list of the movies that qualify for voting in this contest: REMINDER LIST OF PRODUCTIONS ELIGIBLE FOR THE 94TH ACADEMY AWARDS