Hey Ram is a controversial Indian film released both in Tamil and Hindi in 2000 and written, directed, produced by and starring Kamal Haasan. A period drama told in flashback, the semi-fictional plot centres around India's Partition and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The film was a box office failure in India but when released the film was a blockbuster at worldwide (in part to numerous bans by local distributors leery of its heavy- hitting themes), but garnered positive reviews from critics who praised its performances and technical prowess, but steered clear of voicing an opinion on its artistic content. This film was sent as the Oscar nomination of the year for the category 'Best Foreign Language Film'.