97th Oscars list: Laapataa Ladies out, all eyes now on Guneet Monga's Anuja

After Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies failed to cut the next round of the International Feature Film category at the Oscars, India's hopes now centre on Anuja, a live-action short film

After Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies failed to make it to the next round in the International Feature Film category, India's hopes at the 2025 Oscars now depend on Anuja, a live-action short film produced by Guneet Monga. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the 10 categories' shortlists for the 97th Academy Awards on Tuesday.

 

Monga has received three Oscar nominations. Her previous Oscar-winning films, Period: End of Sentence and The Elephant Whisperers, brought Indian cinema to a glorious level. 

The voting for the nominees in all 23 categories will start on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, and will conclude on Sunday, January 12, 2025. The final nominations will be declared on Friday, January 17, 2025.

Oscars 2025: All about the ‘Anuja’ by Guneet Monga

Two sisters go through a cruel environment that is determined to take advantage of and exclude them in the story, Anuja. The short film centers on Anuja, a nine-year-old orphan who works with her older sister Palak in a garment factory in a back alley. Anuja is given a unique opportunity, which turns into a turning point that could affect both her future and her family's destiny. The movie tells a story about social issues and stars a group of Indian artists.

 

With support from Academy Award winner Guneet Monga, Anuja has made the shortlist for Best Live Action Short Film. Adam J. Graves is the director, while Suchitra Mattai, Mindy Kaling, Alexandra Blaney of Shine Global, Krushan Naik (Resurgence), and Aaron Kopp (Saving Face, Liyana, Hunting Ground) are producing the movie. Guneet Monga Kapoor is the executive producer.  In the Oscars 2025 Best Live Action Short Film category, Anuja will have to face the competition from 15 other films.

India at the 2025 Oscars

In addition to Anuja, Sandhya Suri's British-Indian film "Santosh" is still in the running for an Oscar. Santosh, which stars actor Shahana Goswami, is the UK's official Oscar submission. The movie made its Cannes Film Festival debut earlier this year in the Un Certain Regard section.

Oscar 2025: Where to watch?

On Sunday, March 2, 2025, the 97th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC at 7 p.m. ET. Additionally, viewers can watch the event live on websites like FuboTV, AT&T TV, YouTube TV, and Hulu Live TV.