The accusation that the awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Movies are sometimes populist has been proved once again.

Film critics as well as fans are sore over some of the well deserving films finding no place in the Academy Award nominations.

Sex addiction drama Shame, George Clooney's Ides of March, Ryan Gosling-starrer Drive and David Fincher's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo have surprisingly found no place in the nominations this year.

The political and populist reasons are clearly seen behind the Academy’s decision to select the Iranian film A Separation for the best feature film in the foreign film category. Again, the selection of the Pakistani short film Saving Face for the best documentary film by the Academy has also shades of political and populist colour.

The Academy wants to placate the international Muslim community with its decisions at a time when the two Muslim countries Iran and Pakistan are involved in a verbal brawl with the USA over important issues of nuclear arms and terrorism respectively.

The decisions will also go a long way in placating the Muslim community at home on the US soil, the Academy thinks. (JUBS)

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