- Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Another Indian-connected project, “Anuja”, directed by Adam J Graves and Suchitra Mattai, advanced to the shortlist in the Live Action Short Film category
By: India Weekly
THE ACADEMY of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled its shortlist for the Best International Feature category at the 97th Oscars, and India’s entry, “Laapataa Ladies”, is no longer in the running.
The Hindi-language film, directed by Kiran Rao, was not among the 15 films advancing to the next stage.
The shortlist features UK’s “Santosh”, a film by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, marking her directorial debut.
The movie follows a widowed housewife who becomes a police constable and investigates a murder. It stars Indian actors Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar.
Other films in the shortlist include “Emilia Pérez” (France), “I’m Still Here” (Brazil), “Universal Language” (Canada), and “Dahomey” (Senegal). Final nominations will be announced on January 17.
“Laapataa Ladies” — a feminist drama set in rural India — was chosen as the country’s official entry in September from 29 submissions.
Written by Sneha Desai and based on a story by Biplab Goswami, the film depicts the plight of two brides accidentally swapped on their wedding day. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 and is backed by Kindling Productions, Aamir Khan Productions, and Jio Studios.
India’s last success in this Oscars category came with “Lagaan” in 2002, which made it to the final five.
Previously, “Mother India” and “Salaam Bombay!” had also reached this milestone. However, Indian films have achieved significant recognition in other categories, with “RRR’s” song Naatu Naatu and “The Elephant Whisperers” winning awards last year.
This year, another Indian-connected project, “Anuja”, advanced to the shortlist in the Live Action Short Film category.
Directed by Adam J Graves and Suchitra Mattai, it narrates the struggles of a young girl balancing education and work.
