The Academy Awards, one of the most prestigious recognitions in global cinema, celebrate excellence in filmmaking across various categories, including Best International Feature Film. Each year, countries submit their top films in hopes of receiving a nomination.
For the Oscars 2025, India has chosen Kiran Rao's film Laapataa Ladies to represent the country in the Best International Feature Film category. This was officially announced by the Film Federation of India on Monday, after the film was selected from 29 entries submitted from various regions and languages across India.
The diversity of the submissions highlights the rich variety of India's cinematic landscape, which ranges from regional indie films to mainstream Bollywood blockbusters.
Laapataa Ladies stood out among notable contenders, including big-budget productions like Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal, the futuristic sci-fi film Kalki 2898 AD starring Prabhas and Deepika Padukone, and National Award-winning films such as Aattam and All We Imagine As Light, which earned accolades at the Cannes Film Festival.
Other Hindi-language films also competed for the spot, including Ajay Devgn’s sports drama Maidaan, Kartik Aaryan’s biopic Chandu Champion, and Yami Gautam’s political thriller Article 370.
Additional contenders included Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, a biopic on the freedom fighter, Srikanth, a crime thriller starring Rajkummar Rao, and Sam Bahadur, a biopic of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw starring Vicky Kaushal. Films like Joram and action films such as Kill and Good Luck also made a strong case.
The Telugu film industry was well-represented, with three entries—Kalki 2898 AD, Mangalavaaram, and the superhero film Hanu-Man—demonstrating its growing influence in Indian cinema.
Laapataa Ladies, a satirical look at patriarchy in rural India, is expected to resonate with global audiences. Its selection not only reflects India’s diverse storytelling but also positions the film as a strong contender for an Oscar nomination. With its unique narrative and cinematic appeal, it holds the potential to make an impact on the international stage, raising hopes that India could once again secure a place among the nominees at the prestigious Academy Awards.
List of Indian Movie Submissions for Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film till 2024
| Year (Ceremony) | Film Title | Language(s) | Director |
| 2025 (97th) | Laapataa Ladies | Hindi | Kiran Rao |
| 2024 (96th) | Everyone is a Hero | Malayalam | Jude Anthany Joseph |
| 2023 (95th) | Chhello Show | Gujarati | Pan Nalin |
| 2022 (94th) | Koozhangal | Tamil | P. S. Vinothraj |
| 2021 (93rd) | Jallikattu | Malayalam | Lijo Jose Pellissery |
| 2020 (92nd) | Gully Boy | Hindi | Zoya Akhtar |
| 2019 (91st) | Village Rockstars | Assamese | Rima Das |
| 2018 (90th) | Newton | Hindi | Amit V. Masurkar |
| 2017 (89th) | Visaranai | Tamil | Vetri Maaran |
| 2016 (88th) | Court | Marathi | Chaitanya Tamhane |
| 2015 (87th) | Liar's Dice | Hindi | Geetu Mohandas |
| 2014 (86th) | The Good Road | Gujarati | Gyan Correa |
| 2013 (85th) | Barfi! | Hindi | Anurag Basu |
| 2012 (84th) | Abu, Son of Adam | Malayalam | Salim Ahamed |
| 2011 (83rd) | Peepli Live | Hindi | Anusha Rizvi |
| 2010 (82nd) | Harishchandra's Factory | Marathi | Paresh Mokashi |
| 2009 (81st) | Taare Zameen Par | Hindi | Aamir Khan |
| 2008 (80th) | Eklavya: The 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) | The 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) | Guru | Malayalam | Rajiv Anchal |
| 1997 (69th) | Indian | Tamil | S. Shankar |
| 1996 (68th) | Kuruthipunal | Tamil | P.C. Sreeram |
| 1995 (67th) | Muhafiz | Hindi | Ismail Merchant |
| 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) | Saagar | Hindi | Ramesh Sippy |
| 1985 (57th) | Saaransh | Hindi | Mahesh Bhatt |
| 1980 (53rd) | Payal Ki Jhankaar | Hindi | Satyen Bose |
| 1978 (51st) | The Chess Players | Urdu/Hindi | Satyajit Ray |
| 1977 (50th) | Manthan | Hindi | Shyam Benegal |
| 1974 (47th) | Garam Hawa | Urdu | M.S. 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 | A. C. Tirulokchandar |
| 1968 (41st) | Elder Sister | Hindi | Hrishikesh Mukherjee |
| 1967 (40th) | The Last Letter | Hindi | Chetan Anand |
| 1966 (39th) | Amrapali | Hindi | Lekh Tandon |
| 1965 (38th) | The Guide | Hindi | Vijay Anand |
| 1963 (36th) | Metropolis | Bengali | Satyajit Ray |
| 1962 (35th) | Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam | Hindi/Urdu | Abrar Alvi |
| 1959 (32nd) | The World of Apu | Bengali | Satyajit Ray |
| 1958 (31st) | Madhumati | Hindi | Bimal Roy |
| 1957 (30th) | Mother India | Hindi | Mehboob Khan |
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