Oscar Fever

This is surely going to be the event of the year. Yes, I am talking about the 81st Academy Awards ceremony due this Sunday, the 22nd of February 2009. The Hollywood Boulevard is being transformed from a usually busy, typical american street to a high profile venue adorned with the famous "Red carpet". About 50 Oscars will etch the names of their winners in the history of cinema, 8 of whom may find their way into the lap of "Slumdog Millionaire" which showcases a rags-to-riches story of a young indian slum-dweller who eventually goes on to win 2 million rupees in the popular gameshow "Who wants to be a Millionaire ?". There is much anticipation in India, a country still waiting for its much deserved Oscar glory. The transition of the Oscars from 1929, when it all started with an audience of 270 and 15 oscars inside a banquet room at the Kodak Theatre, to 2009 is indeed fascinating. The venue is the same but now, millions of eyes would be glued to their television sets making it one of the most watched t.v. events after the Beijing Olympics. "Overwhelming" is the word I would use !