Watching the live presentation of the 74th Annual Academy Awards, with a bunch of friends on the pleasant Sunday evening, was 'a beautiful mind'-blowing experience. As the excitement starting unfolding slowly, my adrenaline started pumping rapidly. The only relief from the seemingly never-ending mystery of the show was the witty and vivacious host, Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg, whooping up the audience. Whoopi Goldberg was hosting her fourth Academy Awards show and needless to say she did a marvelous job exuding warmth, wit and humor.

'A Beautiful Mind' won four Oscars - Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Connelly), Best Director (Ron Howard), Best Adapted Screenplay (Akiva Goldsman) and the icing on the cake - Best Picture. Russel Crowe not winning the trophy for his heartrending portrayal of Nobel laureate Princeton mathematician John Nash Jr., who battled schizophrenia throughout his adult life, was a total surprise or should I say a pleasant surprise, keeping in mind the winner?

'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring', which had the maximum number of nominations in 13 categories this year, won the honors for makeup, cinematography, original score, and visual effects. Contrary to everybody's expectations, 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' lost the Best Picture award to 'A Beautiful Mind'. The Academy decided to overlook the controversy associated with 'A Beautiful Mind' and honored it with a well-deserved Oscar.

It indeed was a black and beautiful night at the 74th Oscar Awards ceremony. The night, which will go down into the annals of Oscars as the most memorable night, where for the first time in the history of Oscars, both the leading actor and leading actress awards went to African-Americans. Denzel Washington gets a truly deserved Oscar for his wonderful performance as a bad cop in 'Training Day' and Halle Berry, who is the first African-American actress to win an Oscar, gets it for a magnificent performance as a bereaved widow of a death-row inmate in 'Monster's ball'. Both of them received rousing standing ovations amidst a roaring applause from the audience. Sidney Poitier, the only previous African-American best actor winner (for a daring performance in 'Lilies of the Field') was felicitated with a Life-time Achievement Award along with Robert Redford.

As each Oscar was being given away, I waited with baited breath for the announcement of the winner of the Best Foreign Film category. As sizzling Sharon Stone and jaunty John Travolta began announcing the nominees for this category, I unknowingly started uttering prayers for the success of 'Lagaan'. Not every time our prayers are answered, isn't it? Lagaan lost the award to 'No Man's Land' from Bosnia. I could catch a glimpse of white sherwani clad Ashutosh Gowariker giving a thunderous applause by putting his hands together for the director of 'No Man's Land'. Later I could see Aamir Khan holding the hand of Reena Datta (his wife), may be thinking that there's always a next time. Well Aamir and Ashutosh, there's definitely a next time but you guys have really done India proud by making it into the final five nominees. After all how many of the present day Indian movies blend - hope, determination, rustic humor, love, motivation, jealousy, oppression, innocence, dreams, deception so that you enjoy each and every element identifying with each of them? Hats off to Ashutosh Gowariker for blending all the above elements and much more into this magnum opus called Lagaan and three cheers to Aamir Khan for having the guts to produce such a movie and making it to the Oscars. An Oscar or not, Lagaan is definitely a winner for us! Keep it rolling guys and one day our prayers will definitely be answered. Rise for what you believe and rest not until you achieve.

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