We just got a letter from them," says writer Jaideep Sahni. "It's a long letter and I guess they've praised the film in the letter. But I'm not too sure, I haven't seen the letter."
Jaideep is being pretty modest, considering the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has requested a copy of the Chak De! India script for a place in the Margaret Herrick library.
"It's for all of us, yaar," Jaideep explains. "They haven't seen the script. They saw the film and asked for it. It's a compliment for our whole team."
Scripts at the Beverly Hills library are open to students, filmmakers, journalists and researchers, and previous Indian scripts that have gone there include Kal Ho Naa Ho and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.
"I'm very happy for Jaideep," says director Shimit Amin. "He's a great writer and his script deserves recognition. I think a lot of films have gone there, but I think this is special -- I guess because of the speed at which the Academy has asked for it, in terms of the film's release date."
Amin's point is well taken, because the Library usually takes a longish while to ask for a script, at least a few months opposed to Chak De's three-week old release.
"The library gives filmmakers and film students a chance to study and analyse scripts, and they might want to look at Chak De and see how it worked and what made it happen," says the director. "It's a wonderful time for our cinema, when we consider that Indian scripts are requested by such a prestigious library on a regular basis now."