Oscars 2016: Academy nod for 'Sanjay's Super Team' surprised creator Sanjay Patel

Indian-origin filmmaker Sanjay Patel's short animated film Sanjay's Super Team has bagged an Oscar nomination and he says the news came as a surprise to him as it is very difficult to make it to the Academy Awards shortlist.

The fate of the movie will be decided on Monday morning as the Academy doles out recognitions in 24 categories.

The seven-minute film follows the daydream of a young Indian boy, who is bored with his father's religious meditation and imagines Hindu gods as superheroes.

"I was very surprised. Not because of the subject but because, earning an Oscar nomination is so hard! And now that I've seen all the other nominated shorts I'm very humbled.
They are all excellent," Patel told PTI in an email interview.

The filmmaker, who is behind many successful animated features like Monsters University, The Incredibles, Ratatouille and Toy Story 2, got the idea for the film from his own childhood experiences.

Patel said he felt conflicted by the modern world and the Hindu traditions of his family.

"When I was a kid I was obsessed with comic books and superheroes. It wasn't until I was much older that I discovered a true interest in the Gods that my parents worshipped. But as soon as that interest arose, I immediately began to draw parallels between those deities and the Gods I worshipped as a kid. Since then I've been exploring that parallel be it through illustrated books or now this short film," he said.

Patel revealed he did not want to direct a film but the creative team at Pixar encouraged him to make Sanjay's Super Team after seeing his illustrations of Hindu Gods and legends.

"I was shocked. I didn't think Pixar would really want a film that told a story based on that cultural perspective. But it turns out, they did. And it was my father who convinced me to make it. He told me the company had given me so much and it would not be good karma to say no to their request of me to direct a film," Patel said.

The filmmaker, however, has no plans to direct a full-length feature film any time soon.

"I really like sitting behind a desk drawing. Making Sanjay's Super Team was a huge challenge, and now I'm happily back to work on another project, drawing and storyboarding everyday," he said.