NEW DELHI: The Tamil film ‘Visanarai’ (Interrogation) will represent India at the American Academy of Motion Pictures (Oscars) awards next year. This was announced by the selection committee set up by the Film Federation of India in Hyderabad.

The film has been directed by Vetrimaaran, and will compete in the foreign language competition category. The film is about a group of immigrants who are forced by the police to confess to a crime they did not commit.

Produced by Wunderbar and Grass Root Film Company, the film stars Samuthirakani, Dinesh, Anandhi and Murugadass.

The film won the Amnesty International Italia Award at Venice in 2015. It bagged awards for best Tamil feature, best supporting actor for Samuthirakani, and best editing for T I Kishore in the National Film Awards in May this year.

India has been nominated three times - “Mother India” (1957), “Salaam Bombay” (1989), and “Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India” (2002).

Indians working in foreign films or international films made by Indians have won Oscars. These include Richard Attenborough’s ‘Gandhi’ in which costumes award went to Bhanu Athaiya, Shekhar Kapoor’s ‘Elizabeth’ which won several awards, and 'Slumdog Millionaire' which won A R Rahman two Oscars for the song 'Jai Ho' penned by Gulzar.