Indian short film Anuja has bagged a nomination in the Best Live Action Short Film category at the 97th Academy Awards. The other short films to make it to the final nominations list include A Lien, The Last Ranger, I’m not a Robot, The Last Ranger, and The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent.
Anuja follows a gifted nine-year-old girl who, alongside her sister Palak, faces a life-changing opportunity that tests their bond and mirrors the struggles of girls worldwide. The film is backed by two-time Academy Award winner Guneet Monga and actors Priyanka Chopra and Mindy Kaling.
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Anuja is directed by Adam J Graves. In a statement shared on the official website of the film, the director shared, “Despite facing difficult circumstances, the girls I met were resilient, gifted, and inspiring. It was impossible not to be moved by their ability to find and to create joy amidst harsh realities. I felt it was important to make a film that was true to their experiences, but was also something they would want to watch and discuss themselves—one that drew from reality, but without focusing excessively on the doom-and-gloom. I wanted to capture that wondrous combination of magic and emotion, of innocence and mischief, which is part of childhood itself—these are kids after all, not statistics. Though every film is collaborative, this one was much more so than most.”
Responding to the nomination, Mindy Kaling wrote, “AHHHHHHHH #AnujaTheFilm is headed to the Oscars! A story of resilience, sisterhood, and hope – we’re incredibly honored to be nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the Academy Awards 2025. Thank you to The Academy and our partners at Netflix to help get #Anuja’s message across the globe! Huge congrats to the brilliant filmmakers Adam J Graves, Suchitra Mattai and the entire creative team. And of course the incredible young actresses Sajda Pathan and Ananya Shanbhag. It has been such an honor to produce this short film and learn from the artists involved. So proud @kalinginternational gets to be a part! ❤️❤️❤️”
Here’s the post:
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Anuja, set in New Delhi, was among 15 shortlisted films for a nomination in the Best Live Action Short Film category. Other shortlisted films were Clodagh, The Compatriot, Crust, Dovecote, Edge of Space, The Ice Cream Man, I’m Not a Robot, The Last Ranger, A Lien, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, The Masterpiece, An Orang from Jaffa, Paris 70, and Room Taken.
