Exploring India's Journey in the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, formerly Best Foreign Language Film, honours outstanding films from outside the United States. This category celebrates diverse cultures and stories, and each year, countries submit their top films to compete. After a rigorous selection process, a few films are nominated to compete for the Academy Award. While India has submitted many remarkable films, it has yet to win this prestigious award. 

 

Below is a list of Indian films that were nominated in this category :

 

Mother India (1957) 

Directed by Mehboob Khan, Mother India is an epic tale of a mother, Radha, who faces hardships as she raises her children in rural India. The film explores themes of sacrifice, resilience and the struggles of rural life. Radha's strength and determination to keep her family together despite overwhelming adversity make her a symbol of motherhood and the land itself. Mother India was India’s first film to be nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and it remains one of the country’s most iconic films.

 

Salaam Bombay! (1988)

Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay! portrays the harsh realities of life for children living on the streets of Mumbai. The film follows a young boy, who is abandoned in the city and forced to survive amidst poverty, crime, and exploitation. It provides a gritty, unflinching look at the lives of the city's underprivileged and is a raw portrayal of urban India. Salaam Bombay! was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and remains a landmark in Indian cinema for its compelling social commentary.

 

Lagaan (2001)

Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, Lagaan is set in 1893, during the British colonial rule in India. The film follows a group of villagers who challenge British officers to a game of cricket to avoid paying oppressive taxes. The narrative combines sports, drama, and social commentary, with themes of unity, resistance, and perseverance. Lagaan was India's official entry to the Academy Awards and garnered international recognition for its powerful storytelling, marking a historic moment as one of only a few Indian films to receive an Oscar nomination.

 

Despite these remarkable nominations, India has yet to clinch the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. However, the hope remains strong within the Indian film community. Indian filmmakers, actors and producers continue to create films that resonate on both a national and global scale, and with the increasing international success of Indian films there is a renewed optimism that India may finally secure the prestigious Oscar.