New York, Jan 24 (IANS) Canada-based Indian filmmaker Deepa Mehta, whose Hindi film "Water" is in the running for best foreign film at the Oscars, says she will wear a sari for the big night.

Mehta is considering wearing an old tissue sari, that was part of her mother's trousseau, for the 79th Annual Academy Awards, says Sheeraz Hassan, the founder of www.Hollywood.tv.

"It (the sari) is plain gold and very elegant. I think it's right to wear mom's sari," said Mehta, who is looking forward to walking Hollywood's red carpet when the gold statuettes are handed out Feb 25.

The filmmaker said there were tears, champagne and joyful jumps when she learnt of the Oscar nomination.

Mehta said she was a "bundle of nerves" while watching the TV announcement along with daughter Devyani Saltzman, publicist Bonne Smith, producer David Hamilton and distributor Hussain Amarshi.

"My daughter was jumping up and down and Hamilton started crying and Amarshi opened a bottle of champagne and we were just jumping. We were like kids," she added.

"Water" competes with "After the Wedding" (Denmark), "Days of Glory" (Algeria), "The Lives of Other" (Germany) and "Pany's Labyrinth" (Mexico) for the best foreign film.

A graduate in philosophy from the University of Delhi, Mehta started her film career as a screenwriter for children's films. She directed her first full-length feature film "Sam & Me" in 1991, starring Om Puri in a pivotal role.

The film, which revolved around a relationship between a young Muslim boy and an elderly Jewish gentleman living in Parkdale, Toronto, won her a 'honourable mention' in the Camera d'Or category in Cannes Film Festival in 1991.