Bahubali, Bajrangi and other bigwigs vie to be India's Oscar submission

While Pakistan has announced Jami Mahmood's Moor as its submission to the Best Foreign Film Category of the 88th Academy Awards, India has yet to make its choice public. According to Gulf News, the selection process is underway with as many as 30 films shortlisted for the race.

Bahubali, the Telugu- and Tamil-language historical epic that is touted as India's most expensive film, is considered to be a top contender, and some other commercial heavyweights under consideration include Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Piku, PK and Haider.

However, for the past two submissions, India's Oscar jury has favoured indie films like Liar's Dice (2014) and The Good Road (2013) over those years' commercial heavyweights.

This year, Kuttram Kadithal, a Tamil movie that won the Indian National Award for best feature film, is a critical favourite, and a number of Bengali films are also in the race.

India's Oscar selection will be announced on Wednesday or Thursday. The 88th Academy Awards will take place on February 28, 2016 in Los Angeles.