Slumdog’s female director ‘should be able to share Oscar’

Slumdog Millionaire is at the centre of a dispute over gender equality.

While director Danny Boyle is nominated for an Oscar, co-director Loveleen Tandan is not. Now American campaigners are urging Boyle to "make history" if he wins by sharing the honour with her.

Slumdog Millionaire has been nominated for 10 Oscars, including best film. Set in Mumbai, and starring Dev Patel of Harrow, it has broken box office records in Britain.

Tandan was initially appointed casting director, but was named co-director by Boyle after her contribution to the shoot became "indispensable". She decided to have the children's dialogue rewritten in Hindi, giving the film an authentic feel. She made crucial script changes and filmed some frenetic scenes with a handheld camera.

Jan Lisa Huttner of Women in the Audience Supporting Women Artists Now has launched an online campaign to urge Boyle to insist Tandan share his name on the Academy Awards ballot paper. She said: "Women find it harder to be able to make films and have their films seen. That's why this is such an important issue." No woman has ever won an Academy award for best director and only three have ever been nominated. Academy rules state only one individual can be named on the ballot paper.

But last year, Joel and Ethan Coen jointly won best director for No Country For Old Men. Ms Huttner, a film critic, said: "They waive the rules at their own discretion." Tandan, who was in Mumbai for the Indian premiere of the film, sought to defuse the row today, saying: "My credit is not Directed by'. It is Co-Director (India)'.

"I am greatly honoured by the credit I have been accorded. It would be a grave injustice if the credit I have should have the effect of diminishing Danny Boyle's magnificent achievement."