India’s short film ‘Anuja’ was nominated in the Live Action Short Film category at the 97th Academy Awards held in Los Angeles, but it could not win the award. The award in this category was won by the Dutch film ‘I am not a robot’, directed by Victoria Warmerdam and Trent. ‘Anuja’ is directed by Adam J. Graves and Suchitra Mattai.
At this award ceremony, ‘Anuja’ faced competition from films like ‘A Line’, ‘I Am Not a Robot’, ‘The Last Ranger’ and ‘The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent’, in which ‘I Am Not a Robot’ ultimately succeeded. The Oscar ceremony was held on March 2, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles, hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien, and its telecast in India started on March 3 at 5.30 am.
‘Anuja’ presents the story of a nine-year-old girl who has to choose between education and factory work with her sister. The film stars Sajda Pathan and Ananya Shanbag in the lead roles. ‘Anuja’ is produced in association with Salaam Balak Trust (SBT), which was founded by filmmaker Mira Nair’s family to support street children and working children. Additionally, Shine Global and Krishna Naik Films are also involved in the project. ‘Anuja’ is significant due to its subject, which highlights the issues of education and child labour.
