With Laapataa Ladies being chosen as India’s official entry for the Oscars and Cannes Grand Prix winner All we Imagine as Light shortlisted by France, it seems that Hindi films are on top of their game right now.
ALSO READ: Interview with Kani Kusruti of 'All we Imagine As Light' fame
Recently, the United Kingdom announced that the country was going to send Hindi film Santosh as their official submission for the Academy Awards 2025. They will be competing for a spot in the Best International Feature Film category.
Why was it selected by the UK?
Santosh is directed by British-Indian director and documentarian Sandhya Suri, who bagged a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) nomination for her short film The Field in 2018.
Santosh is an international co-production, with British producers -- Alan McAlex, Mike Goodridge, James Bowsher -- playing the larger role. French producer Balthazar de Ganay, who has previously worked with Suri for The Field, too, is associated with it. As are India and Germany.
The film has not yet been released in India, which is a criterion to be fulfilled for Oscar submission.
The film had its world premiere at Cannes 2024, at the Un Certain Regard section, which translates to “a certain look”, primarily aimed at viewing films that offer a different perspective to the audience.
The thriller drama film details the story of a Hindu widow who inherits her husband’s job as a police constable in a rural town in north India. She is tasked with the duty to investigate the rape and murder of a low-caste girl while being caught up in institutional corruption.
The film stars Shahana Goswami, Sunita Rajwar, Kushal Dubey and Sanjay Bishnoi.
The final nominations for the 97th Academy Awards will be announced on January 17, 2025.
ALSO READ: Explained: How 'Laapataa Ladies' was picked as India's official entry to Oscars
