The director of “Gunyo Cholo,” who was accused by a rival Nepali filmmaker of offering $100,000 to the crisis-stricken country’s selection committee to reverse its pick of soccer biopic “Anjila” for international Oscar consideration, fervently denies the claim and says her film was neglected in a hurried and chaotic process.
“The statement given by the director on ‘Anjila’s’ side is not accurate,” Samundra Bhatta, director of “Gunyo Cholo: The Dress,” told TheWrap in a Monday email. “I have never discussed money with them, nor have I had any conversation on this matter. If there is any proof that I discussed $100,000, I am even ready to undergo a live verification test.”
Bhatta was among the group of Nepali filmmakers who reportedly filed a formal complaint last week with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that challenges the country’s submission of “Anjila,” alleging conflicts of interest and violations of procedure. “Anjila” director Milan Chams dismissed the complaint as “personal disappointment,” and accused Bhatta of offering up to $100,000 to dislodge his movie from consideration before the Oct. 1 submission deadline.
“Anjila” is a biographical drama about Anjila Tumbapo Subba, captain and goalkeeper of Nepal’s women’s national soccer team, who stars as herself, and traces her rise from a restrictive home life to leading the squad. “Gunyo Cholo: The Dress” is the story of a young man who wishes to live his life as a woman, dashing his father’s dreams of a military career and enraging his family.
“The Oscar committee completely neglected our film” during the selection process, Bhatta said. “They did not even attempt to indicate that our film ‘must be watched,’ and it appears that the review was done in a casual or careless manner.”
Bhatta points out irregularities in the process, like the inclusion of the “Anjila” media coordinator as a selection committee judge; that another member did not watch the film because he was in the United States during the shortened viewing window; and that some judges watched the film on a laptop when movie theater screenings were available.
“For raising these questions, false accusations were made against me,” Bhatta told TheWrap. “The director on ‘Anjila’s’ side even misrepresented my Facebook posts. … My position is clear — ‘Anjila’ and the Oscar committee conducted the selection process in a highly secretive manner, which raises serious questions about transparency.
Bhatta says the $100,000 accusation stems from a Sept. 18 post she made on Facebook that was misrepresented. In it, she laments the influence of “money-based games” that undermine creatives and corrupted the selection process, ending with the statement: “Perhaps the Oscar committee does not truly know me. … Otherwise, if money were the only consideration, I could have given each of them hundreds of thousands of dollars — haha, imagine that!”
Bhatta also suggests she was discriminated against “as a female filmmaker.”
“My perspective was not given the attention it deserved, and this raises concerns about fairness and representation in a space where merit should matter most,” she wrote.
Neither Chams nor the Academy immediately returned messages seeking comment.
The Academy requires each country’s selection committee to publish its process but does not dictate procedures beyond compliance with eligibility rules. Nepal’s submission deadline is Oct. 1, after which the Academy will vet entries. The protesting filmmakers are urging the Academy to void Nepal’s submission and order a restart with a 30-day application window and independent oversight.
Nepal is grappling with political turmoil and deadly violence across weeks of anti-corruption protests. The unrest forced the resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and the installation of an interim government.
