The New Delhi-based film Anuja has been nominated for Best Live Action Short at the 2025 Oscars.
Anuja, a coming-of-age short film set in New Delhi that competed for Best Live Action Short at the Oscars 2025, lost to the Dutch-language film I’m Not a Robot.
Victoria Warmerdam wrote and directed the science fiction film I’m Not A Robot. After failing an online CAPTCHA test, Max spirals into an existential crisis, questioning whether he might, in fact, be a robot.
Anuja, directed by Adam J Graves and Suchitra Mattai, follows a talented nine-year-old named Anuja, who must choose between education and factory job alongside her sister, a decision that will influence both of their destinies. Sajda Pathan and Ananya Shanbhag are part of the cast.
Anuja, which is presently streaming on Netflix, is executive produced by two-time Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga and actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas, with Hollywood star-writer Mindy Kaling serving as producer.
It is created in conjunction with the Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT), a nonprofit formed by filmmaker Mira Nair’s family to benefit street and working children, as well as Shine Global and Krushan Naik Films.
Among the contenders for the award were A Lien, The Last Ranger, and The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent.
The 97th Academy Awards, with Conan O’Brien as the host, will be broadcast live in India on JioHotstar and Star Plus from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
