Explore the full list of Indian films shortlisted for the 2025 Oscars alongside Laapataa Ladies, showcasing the diverse range of cinematic storytelling across India.
The Oscars, one of the most prestigious awards in global cinema, honor excellence in filmmaking in many categories, including Best International Feature Film. Every year, countries from around the world submit their best films in hopes of scoring a coveted nomination.
For the 2025 Oscars, India’s official entry is director Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, which will represent the country in the highly competitive Best International Feature Film category.
On Monday, the Film Federation of India officially announced the selection of Laapataa Ladies, which was the winner of 29 feature films submitted from different regions and languages of India.
This diversity speaks to the country’s rich and diverse film scene, which ranges from regional independent films to mainstream Bollywood blockbusters.
Among the films that Laapataa Ladies has dropped are several high-profile hits, including Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal, a highly anticipated action thriller, and Kalki 2898 AD, the futuristic sci-fi epic hybrid starring Prabhas and Deepika Padukone.
National award-winning films such as Aattam and All We Imagine As Light, which won multiple awards at the Cannes Film Festival, were also present, highlighting the caliber of the competition.
Several other Hindi-language films are competing for this prestigious honor. Ajay Devgn’s sports drama Maidaan, which tells the story of Indian football coach Syed Abdul Rahim, Kartik Aaryan’s inspirational biopic Chandu Champion and Yami Gautam’s political thriller Article 370 are among the of the films reviewed.
Other notable contenders include Randeep Hooda’s Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, a biopic on the controversial freedom fighter, Rajkummar Rao’s Srikanth, a gripping crime thriller, and Sam Bahadur, a miniseries History of India’s famous Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, starring Vicky Kaushal. Movies like Joram starring Manoj Bajpayee and action-packed titles like Kill and Good Luck have added variety to the list.
The Telugu film industry also has a strong presence, with three films—Kalki 2898 AD, Mangalavaaram, and the critically acclaimed superhero film Hanu-Man—demonstrating the growing influence of industry to India’s film output.
Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, a patriarchal satire set in rural India, is likely to resonate with global audiences. India’s selection of this film not only highlights the country’s commitment to diverse storytelling but also positions it as a strong contender for a potential Oscar nomination.
With its unique cinematic and narrative qualities, the film is expected to make waves internationally, raising hopes that India can once again secure a spot among the nominations at the Awards. prestigious Academy Award.
List of Indian films competing for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film through 2024
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Year (Feast) | Movie title | Language(s). | Manager |
2025 (97th) | Laapataa Lady | Hindi | Kiran Rao |
2024 (96th) | Everyone is a Hero | Malaysia | Jude Anthony Joseph |
2023 (95th) | Hello program | Gujarati | Pan Nalin |
2022 (94th) | Koozhangal | Tamil | PS Vinothraj |
2021 (93rd) | Jallikattu | Malaysia | Lijo Jose Pellissery |
2020 (92nd) | Gutter boy | Hindi | Zoya Akhtar |
2019 (91st) | village rock star | Assamese | Rima Das |
2018 (90th edition) | Newton | Hindi | Amit V. Masurkar |
2017 (89th) | Visaranai | Tamil | Vetri Maaran |
2016 (88th edition) | Court | Marathi | Chaitanya Tamhane |
2015 (87th) | Liar’s dice | Hindi | Geetu Mohandas |
2014 (86th) | Good Road | Gujarati | Gyan Correa |
2013 (85th) | Barfi! | Hindi | Anurag Basu |
2012 (84th) | Abu, Son of Adam | Malaysia | Salim Ahamed |
2011 (83rd) | Peepli live | Hindi | Anusha Rizvi |
2010 (82nd) | Harishchandra’s factory | Marathi | Paresh Mokashi |
2009 (81st) | Taare Zameen Par | Hindi | Amir Khan |
2008 (80th) | Eklavya: Royal Guard | Hindi | Vidhu Vinod Chopra |
2007 (79th) | Rang De Basanti | Hindi | Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra |
2006 (78th) | Paheli | Hindi | Amol Palekar |
2005 (77th) | Shwaas | Marathi | Sandeep Sawant |
2004 (76th) | breath | Marathi | Sandeep Sawant |
2003 (75th) | Devdas | Hindi | Sanjay Leela Bhansali |
2002 (74th) | Lagaan | Hindi/English | Ashutosh Gowariker |
2001 (73rd) | Hey Ram | Tamil/Hindi | Kamal Haasan |
2000 (72nd) | Earth | Hindi | Deepa Mehta |
1999 (71st) | jeans | Tamil | S. Shankar |
1998 (70th) | Teacher | Malaysia | Rajiv Anchal |
1997 (69th) | Indian | Tamil | S. Shankar |
1996 (68th) | Kurutipunal | Tamil | PC Sreeram |
1995 (67th) | Muhafiz | Hindi | Seller Ismail |
1994 (66th) | Rudaali | Hindi | Kalpana Lajmi |
1993 (65th) | Thevar Magan | Tamil | Bharathan |
1992 (64th) | Henna | Hindi/Urdu | Randhir Kapoor |
1991 (63rd) | Anjali | Tamil | Mani Ratnam |
1990 (62nd) | Parinda | Hindi | Vidhu Vinod Chopra |
1989 (61st) | Salaam Bombay! | Hindi | Mira Nair |
1988 (60th) | nayagan | Tamil | Mani Ratnam |
1987 (59th) | Swathi Muthyam | Telugu | K. Viswanath |
1986 (58th) | Sagar | Hindi | Ramesh Sippy |
1985 (57th) | Saaransh | Hindi | Mahesh Bhatt |
1980 (53rd) | Payal Ki Jhankaar | Hindi | Satyan Bose |
1978 (51st) | Chess players | Urdu/Hindi | Ray Satyajit |
1977 (50th) | Manthan | Hindi | Shyam is beneficial |
1974 (47th) | Garam Hawa | Urdu | MS Sathyu |
1973 (46th) | Saudagar | Hindi | Sudhendu Ray |
1972 (45th) | Uphaar | Hindi | Sudhendu Ray |
1971 (44th) | Reshma Aur Shera | Hindi | Sunil Dutt |
1969 (42nd) | Deiva Magan | Tamil | AC Tirulokchandar |
1968 (41st) | Big Sister | Hindi | Hrishikesh Mukherjee |
1967 (40th) | Last letter | Hindi | Chetan Anand |
1966 (39th) | amrapali | Hindi | Lekh Tandon |
1965 (38th) | Instruct | Hindi | Vijay Anand |
1963 (36th) | urban | Bengali | Ray Satyajit |
1962 (35th) | Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam | Hindi/Urdu | Abrar Alvi |
1959 (32nd) | Apu’s world | Bengali | Ray Satyajit |
1958 (31st) | Madhumati | Hindi | Bimal Roy |
1957 (30th) | Mother India | Hindi | Mehboob Khan |