India produces around 2,000 films a year, yet a coveted Oscar in the major film categories remains elusive.
The country’s Oscar journey began in 1957, when Mother India narrowly lost the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film by a single vote to Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria. Since then, only Salaam Bombay! and Lagaan have reached the final nominations in top categories.
This year, Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound made the 15-film shortlist for the International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards but did not make the final five. Acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur reflected, “There were other equally good films in competition.”
While major Oscars have proved difficult, India has had successes in other areas. Legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray received an Honorary Academy Award in 1992, and Kapur earned seven nominations in 1999 for Elizabeth, mostly in technical categories.
Recent wins include RRR for Best Original Song, The Elephant Whisperers for Best Documentary Short, and AR Rahman and Resul Pookutty’s awards for Slumdog Millionaire (2008).
Industry insiders cite multiple reasons for India’s struggles. Kapur believes Indian films often rely on commercial formulas, including elaborate song-and-dance sequences, which can overshadow storylines. Actor-director Anupam Kher added that selecting the “best film” for submission and sustaining promotion costs are ongoing challenges, even as regional cinema flourishes.
Filmmaker Ketan Mehta emphasized the importance of marketing and pitching films to the Oscar jury in Los Angeles, noting that Indian entries often falter in this area. Films such as Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies (2023) and Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light (2024) received critical acclaim but were overlooked due to limited campaigning.
Former Film Federation of India president Firdausul Hasan pointed out the unpredictability of the Oscars. “It is a glorious game of uncertainty. If we knew what is needed to get an Oscar or which film would become a hit, every Tom, Dick, and Harry would make films. This is a creative field, not some math,” he said.
Despite the hurdles, India continues to gain recognition on the global stage, even as the search for a major Oscar win goes on.
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