For the one billion Indians who prayed that Lagaan would bring home the Oscar, Monday was a disappointing day.

But, for the few who've made Bollywood an internationally recognised brand, it was a day of introspection, a day to realise that the Oscars were not an impossible dream any more. The future is bright for our cinema-savvy country and nothing proves this better than the tough competition Lagaan gave to its competitors in the foreign film category.

We spoke to four filmmakers who have the power - and talent - to let India dream big. From hiring foreign-based PROs to strategising smartly and budgeting for marketing films abroad, these filmmakers are full of ideas.

The only question is: Who will next be on the Oscar trail? Well, we don't have the answer to that as yet, but what we do have here is a spokesperson of the Film Federation, who tells us how a film producer can seal the fate of his film.

Supran Sen
Secretary, Film Federation of India - the body that selects the Indian entry to the Oscars.
The strategy that competing films adopt depends entirely on the capacity of the individual producers of the films which get sent as the Indian entry next year. Certainly, Lagaan' s nomination has given a boost to the awareness level towards the Oscars. The media has played a positive role in this regard and I hope they continue to support the films we send in the coming years as well. In terms of our procedure and strategy, it remains the same and it is very simple. We select a jury comprising representatives of the film industries around the country and they choose the Indian entry from the short-listed films, as per the criteria of the Academy. At the Oscars itself, Aamir Khan's strategy was not publicity through influence. He was only trying to get jury members to watch his film, which was not happening with Indian films before.

Karan Johar
Filmmaker
Lagaan has proved that we're not only capable of an Oscar nomination, but can get the trophy too. But for that we need to really push our films in foreign circles. It is crucial that we go through PROs based abroad. Like in the UK and USA, where international films release on a weekly basis, Hindi cinema should aspire to reach that level. We should break into the mainstream market and hire distributors who'll not only show the film to NRIs, but also give it an international release. It would be unfortunate if we don't take advantage of the precedent set by Lagaan .

Farhan Akhtar
Filmmaker
I personally think any filmmaker making a film with an ulterior motive like a strategy aimed at the Oscars is doing a dangerous thing. A director wishes the best for his film and this year's nomination for Lagaan is unlikely to open any doors for Indian films. It depends entirely on the quality of your cinema. What's important is not what is in your mind, but the story you have to tell.

Mahesh Manjrekar
Filmmaker
We need to drastically change our style of filmmaking. If we continue with our present working method of four to five day shifts and then complete the film in two years, we'll forever end up making stale films. Lagaan has opened our eyes to a vast opportunity that lies in an international market. It is important to realise that if a film from Bosnia can generate international attention, so can a film from India, as long as it shows our culture and our people in an honest light. This is the future of Indian cinema.

Rakesh Mehra
Filmmaker
One has to distinguish between making a film and marketing it. It is the producer's responsibility to make sure his film is made as well as it was conceived. And then he should focus on marketing it right. In the West, films have high marketing budgets which we don't. But if we have to spread our base internationally then we must have marketing budgets. I think that after Lagaan, we should understand the need for such a budget. We also have to make good films with good stories. The film will then find its way to the festivals and Oscars. It's commendable that Aamir took his film this far.