The race for the 2025 Oscars has started. The Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences released a list of 324 films eligible for the best picture category on Tuesday, which sparked excitement among Indian film enthusiasts.
Multiple films from the country have made it to the list of eligible films for the best picture trophy. Among the contenders is the Tamil fantasy thriller Kanguva, starring Suriya and Bobby Deol, Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Malayalam drama Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life, Shuchi Talati’s coming-of-age drama Girls Will Be Girls, and Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light. Bengali film Putul, directed by Indira Dhar has also made it to the list.
Kanguva, a historical fantasy drama, is set between two timelines, following Francis (Suriya), a 2024 bounty hunter, and a tribal warrior from 1070. Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life is based on Benyamin’s novel about the harrowing real-life experiences of a Keralite man subjected to slavery in the Middle-East. Both films are streaming on Netflix.
Girls Will Be Girls, which marks Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal’s first production venture, delves into the life of 18-year-old Mira (Preeti Panigrahi), whose exploration of romance and rebellion is met with resistance from her school and her mother (played by Kani Kusruti). The film is streaming on Prime Video.
Adding to the Indian lineup is the much-talked-about All We Imagine As Light, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes 2024. Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, the Malayalam drama explores themes of identity and self-discovery through the interconnected lives of three women — played by Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam.
Also in the running is Indira Dhar’s Putul, starring Tanushree Shankar, Mumtaz Sorcar, and Koneenica Banerjee. The film, which premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival's Marché du Film, revolves around the lives of street children. Swatantrya Veer Savarkar directed by Randeep Hooda also met the eligibility criteria for best picture.
Voting for the 97th Academy Awards nominations will begin on January 8 and continue till January 12. The list of nominees will be announced January 17 and the final voting for the winners will be held between February 11–18. The Oscars ceremony will take place on March 2 at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
