For Indians keeping a keen eye on the Academy Awards, the 2025 Oscars race is already rife with excitement. Six Indian films found a way to qualify for the Best Picture race, including Kanguva, Girls Will Be Girls, Santosh, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, Putul, Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life andPayal Kapadia’s Cannes-lauded All We Imagine As Light (AWIAL). Conspicuous by its absence (yet again) was Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies — India’s official Oscar submission this year that only recently missed out on qualifying for Best International Feature.
According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ evolving rulebook, for a feature film to be considered for the general entry categories at the Oscars, including Best Picture, it must first meet a basic theatrical criterion. This includes a minimum seven-day commercial run in at least one of six major U.S. metropolitan areas — Los Angeles, New York, the Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, or Atlanta — within the calendar year.
But for Best Picture, the requirements don’t stop there. Since the implementation of the Academy’s Representation and Inclusion Standards (RAISE) in 2024, films vying for the top prize must clear additional hurdles.
The RAISE initiative mandates that films meet at least two of four diversity benchmarks. These include on-screen representation, where the subject matter or cast reflects underrepresented groups; diversity in key creative leadership roles or crew positions; industry access opportunities, such as internships or apprenticeships for marginalized groups; and inclusive marketing or publicity strategies. Best Picture hopefuls must also complete an expanded theatrical run in at least ten of the top 50 U.S. markets within 45 days of their initial release. These updated rules have ostensibly made the Academy’s highest honor more inclusive, but they’ve also created a steeper climb for some contenders.
Now in their second year, the RAISE standards have unsurprisingly also spurred significant debate. Some view them as overdue; others, as performative hoops that do little to reward artistry. Many international films, documentaries, and animated features often don’t bother vying for Best Picture, deterred by the dual burden of theatrical expansion and RAISE compliance.
Advocates argue that the benchmarks are a necessary step toward creating a more equitable film industry. Critics, however, warn that they risk sidelining smaller, independent films from less resourced regions — films that might lack the means to meet the expanded theatrical and inclusion requirements, even if they excel artistically. Several acclaimed international and documentary features didn’t qualify for Best Picture despite securing eligibility in other categories. including The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, The Girl With the Needle, Dahomey, Frida, Armand and Universal Language.
The glaring absence of Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, from the shortlist for Best International Feature, let alone for Best Picture, continues the Film Federation of India’s (FFI) frustrating tradition of fumbling the ball. The omission had earlier reignited perennial debates over the FFI’s selection process, which has long faced criticism for its opaque decision-making and perceived inability that has resulted in countless deserving films languishing in obscurity, undone by parochialism and poor campaign strategies.
Meanwhile, the six Indian films that did qualify for Best Picture consideration offer a fairly diverse slate. Of the lot, AWIAL’s inclusion was a no-brainer. Already festooned with international laurels and precursor nominations, its depiction of Mumbai’s working class might just go the whole way with voters keen on authentic, auteur-driven storytelling. In contrast, Kanguva’s eligibility feels emblematic of the Academy’s occasional infatuation with the over-the-top spectacle, a la RRR.
Then there’s Girls Will Be Girls, Shuchi Talati’s coming-of-age drama that made waves at film festivals, National Award-winning Blessy’s Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life and U.K.’s official submission at the Academy this year, Santosh. Joining them are Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, the polarizing historical biopic, and Putul, an experimental Bengali film.
As the countdown to the nominations begins, the question remains: will any of these films manage to secure a coveted Best Picture nod?
The Oscars will be held on March 2, at the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood. Nominations will be announced on January 17.
Published – January 08, 2025 03:01 pm IST
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The Hindu Sunday Magazine
