A still from Newton

The announcement of India's selection for its official entry to the Oscars is often followed by dissent. As the Film Federation of India (FFI), headed by Telugu producer CV Reddy, announced Rajkummar Rao-starrer Newton as India's pick to compete at the Oscars 2018 in the Best Foreign Language Film category yesterday, it generated a wave of applause within and outside the industry. Rarely has any film enjoyed such universal appreciation and therein probably lies one of Newton's greatest victories.