#KetchupNow: What’s up with Indian films at the 2025 Oscars?

India's official entry, Laapataa Ladies, exits the Oscars race; UK-India's Santosh advances to the next round, according to the 2025 Oscars shortlist reveal for ten categories! 

India's official entry for the Best International Feature category at the 97th Academy Awards, Laapataa Ladies, renamed for the Oscar campaign as Lost Ladies, has been eliminated from the race. Directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan, the film failed to make the shortlist of 15 films that will compete for a nomination in the final five. The official Oscar nominations will be revealed on January 17, 2024.

However, filmmaker Sandhya Suri’s Hindi film Santosh, representing the UK, has advanced to the next stage, as announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is a Hindi-language crime drama featuring Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar, which was shortlisted as the UK’s official entry. It premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section and follows a recently widowed housewife who inherits her late husband's position as a police constable in Uttar Pradesh. The film, with international critical acclaim, explores caste, class, and moral dilemmas as it investigates the murder of a Dalit girl. 

According to the Academy, 85 countries or regions submitted entries for the prestigious Best International Feature category this year. Other shortlisted films include Emilia Perez from France, I'm Still Here from Brazil, Universal Language from Canada, The Girl with the Needle from Denmark, and others.

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Meanwhile, another project with Indian ties, Anuja, has been shortlisted in the Live Action Short category. The film, directed by Adam J Graves and Suchitra Mattai, is set in New Delhi and follows a gifted nine-year-old girl who must choose between education and factory work, a decision that will shape both her and her sister’s futures. Produced by Mindy Kaling and executive produced by Guneet Monga, Anuja stands as a strong contender. Indian-American filmmaker Smriti Mundhra also made headlines as her documentary I Am Ready, Warden advanced to the shortlist for Best Documentary Short. The film documents the final moments of John Henry Ramirez, a prisoner executed by the state of Texas in 2022. Mundhra, known for her work on The Romantics, brings yet another poignant narrative to the awards circuit.

Even though we celebrate the success of these other films that have Indian ties attached to them, Laapataa Ladies being out of the race is saddening for sure. The film was selected by the Film Federation of India (FFI) as the country’s official Oscar entry in September. It had sparked controversy, with many on social media arguing that Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, should have been India’s official entry. On the other hand, Kapadia’s film has already gained significant attention in Hollywood, winning the Gotham Award for Best International Feature Film and earning Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Award nominations.

While Lagaan was the last Indian film to make it to the top five in the International Feature category in 2002, Mother India and Salaam Bombay! also earned nominations in the past. In 2023, India celebrated wins in the Best Original Song category with Naatu Naatu from RRR and in the Best Documentary Short category with The Elephant Whisperers. In addition to the International Feature category, AMPAS released shortlists in several other categories, including Documentary Feature Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, and Visual Effects. The 97th Academy Awards will take place on March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by comedian Conan O'Brien.

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