The Malayalam-language movie "2018," starring Tovino Thomas and directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, has been chosen by the movie Federation of India to represent the country at the Oscars. The movie, featuring an ensemble cast, centres around the 2018 Kerala floods.

In recent times, movies like "Gully Boy," "Last Film Show," "Pebbles," and "Jallikattu" have been India's official entries to the Oscars. Last year was a successful one for Indian cinema at the Oscars, with the Telugu-language epic "RRR" winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song, even though it wasn't selected for the Best International movie category. Only three Indian movies have ever been nominated in this category: "Mother India," "Salaam Bombay," and "Lagaan." In the past two years, two Indian documentary features, "Writing with Fire" and "All that Breathes," received nominations, with "The Elephant Whisperers" winning in the Best Documentary Short category last year.

Tovino expressed his thoughts, saying, "Being chosen as India's official entry for the Oscars is truly an incredible recognition for our movie. It's not just a moment of pride for me as an actor, but for the team that put their heart and soul into this project. '2018' reflects the resilience and indomitable spirit of the people of Kerala in the face of one of the most devastating natural disasters of our time. Through the movie, we aim to remind everyone that amidst the chaos and destruction, there is always a glimmer of hope, and it's the human spirit that shines the brightest. This nomination serves as a shining example of our collective efforts, and I am hopeful that it will resonate with the international audience, just as it did with our own."

In his review of "2018," Anandu Suresh from the Indian Express praised Jude's handling of the sensitive subject matter, stating, "Throughout the movie, he manages to avoid making anyone feel uncomfortable or distressed when revisiting the tragedy that occurred five years ago." In addition to critical acclaim, "2018" also became the highest-grossing movie in the history of Malayalam cinema, earning over Rs 200 crore during its theatrical run. The movie also features a stellar supporting cast, including Kunchako Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Aparna Balamurali, Kalaiyarasan, Indrans, Sudheesh, Gilu Joseph, Vinitha Koshy, Aju Varghese, Thanvi Ram, and Gauthami Nair.