Oscars 2025: While Laapataa Ladies loses, Guneet Monga’s short film Anuja and Shahana Goswami starrer Santosh makes the cut; full shortlist inside

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled the shortlist for the 97th Academy Awards. Although Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, which was India’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category, did not make the final list, Anuja by Guneet Monga has brought some joy to the country by earning a place in the Best Live-Action Short Film category and Santosh featuring Shahana Goswami has been shortlisted for the Best International Feature Film category for the Oscars 2025.

Anuja and Santosh shortlisted for Oscars 2025

Santosh, a Hindi-language international co-production set in rural North India, has secured a place in the Best International Feature Film category for the Oscars 2025. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) recently revealed its shortlist for the 97th Academy Awards, highlighting that while India’s official entry, Laapataa Ladies, did not make the list, Santosh emerged as a notable contender. The film, featuring Shahana Goswami in the lead role, was submitted by the United Kingdom as its official entry.

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Additionally, Guneet Monga’s “Anuja” has been shortlisted for the Best Live Action Short Film category, bringing further pride to the country. Backed by Academy Award winner Guneet Monga, “Anuja,” directed by Adam J Graves, follows the story of two sisters facing exploitation in a challenging world. The short film features nine-year-old orphan Anuja, working in a garment factory alongside her older sister Palak. When Anuja is presented with a rare opportunity, it could alter the trajectory of their lives.

About Santosh

Santosh marks a significant achievement, making it to the Oscars 2025 shortlist among 85 films submitted from various countries, with only 15 selected for this category. The film premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, receiving positive reviews from critics. Shahana shared her excitement for this “little glory” on Instagram, expressing her joy over the film’s recognition.

Directed by Sandhya Suri, Santosh tells the story of a determined young Hindu widow, played by Shahana, who inherits her husband’s position as a police constable through a government initiative. As she navigates the complexities of her new role, she confronts institutional corruption and partners with the hardened veteran detective Inspector Sharma (Sunita Rajwar) to investigate a brutal murder case involving a teenage girl from the marginalized Dalit community.

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About Anuja

Anuja competes with 15 other films in its category, and Monga’s involvement raises expectations, especially after her previous success with The Elephant Whisperers, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film in 2024.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
“The Bibi Files”
“Black Box Diaries”
“Dahomey”
“Daughters”
“Eno”
“Frida”
“Hollywoodgate”
“No Other Land”
“Porcelain War”
“Queendom”
“The Remarkable Life of Ibelin”
“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat”
“Sugarcane”
“Union”
“Will & Harper”

97th Oscars shortlists

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

“Chasing Roo”
“Death by Numbers”
“Eternal Father”
“I Am Ready, Warden”
“Incident”
“Instruments of a Beating Heart”
“Keeper”
“Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World”
“Once upon a Time in Ukraine”
“The Only Girl in the Orchestra”
“Planetwalker”
“The Quilters”
“Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr”
“A Swim Lesson”
“Until He’s Back”

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

Brazil, “I’m Still Here”
Canada, “Universal Language”
Czech Republic, “Waves”
Denmark, “The Girl with the Needle”
France, “Emilia Pérez”
Germany, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
Iceland, “Touch”
Ireland, “Kneecap”
Italy, “Vermiglio”
Latvia, “Flow”
Norway, “Armand”
Palestine, “From Ground Zero”
Senegal, “Dahomey”
Thailand, “How to Make Millions before Grandma Dies”
United Kingdom, “Santosh”

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

“The Apprentice”
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”
“A Different Man”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Maria”
“Nosferatu”
“The Substance”
“Waltzing with Brando”
“Wicked”

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

“Alien: Romulus”
“Babygirl”
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”
“Blink Twice”
“Blitz”
“The Brutalist”
“Challengers”
“Conclave”
“Emilia Pérez”
“The Fire Inside”
“Gladiator II”
“Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1”
“Inside Out 2”
“Nosferatu”
“The Room Next Door”
“Sing Sing”
“The Six Triple Eight”
“Wicked”
“The Wild Robot”
“Young Woman and the Sea”

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

“Forbidden Road” from “Better Man”
“Winter Coat” from “Blitz”
“Compress/Repress” from “Challengers”
“Never Too Late” from “Elton John: Never Too Late”
“El Mal” from “Emilia Pérez”
“Mi Camino” from “Emilia Pérez”
“Sick In The Head” from “Kneecap”
“Beyond” from “Moana 2”
“Tell Me It’s You” from “Mufasa: The Lion King”
“Piece By Piece” from “Piece by Piece”
“Like A Bird” from “Sing Sing”
“The Journey” from “The Six Triple Eight”
“Out Of Oklahoma” from “Twisters”
“Kiss The Sky” from “The Wild Robot”
“Harper And Will Go West” from “Will & Harper”

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

“Au Revoir Mon Monde”
“A Bear Named Wojtek”
“Beautiful Men”
“Bottle George”
“A Crab in the Pool”
“In the Shadow of the Cypress”
“Magic Candies”
“Maybe Elephants”
“Me”
“Origami”
“Percebes”
“The 21”
“Wander to Wonder”
“The Wild-Tempered Clavier”
“Yuck!”

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

“Anuja”
“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 Orange from Jaffa”
“Paris 70”
“Room Taken”

SOUND

“Alien: Romulus”
“Blitz”
“A Complete Unknown”
“Deadpool & Wolverine”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Gladiator II”
“Joker: Folie à Deux”
“Wicked”
“The Wild Robot”

VISUAL EFFECTS

“Alien: Romulus”
“Better Man”
“Civil War”
“Deadpool & Wolverine”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Gladiator II”
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”
“Mufasa: The Lion King”
“Twisters”
“Wicked”

While securing a spot on the shortlist is a remarkable accomplishment, it does not guarantee a nomination. Guneet Monga’s Anuja and Shahana Goswami starrer Santosh has successfully made it to the Oscars 2025. Voting for nominees across all 23 categories will start on January 8, 2025, and conclude on January 12. The final nominations are set to be announced on January 17, 2025.

Also Read: Aamir Khan-Kiran Rao’s film Laapataa Ladies out of Oscars 2025; Hansal Mehta & Ricky Rej strongly react