New Delhi: India's official entry at the Oscars every year is a grand affair. This year too, 'Laapataa Ladies' announcement as the official entry at the 97th Academy Awards has been celebrated as a huge affair. As Kiran Rao's film wins appreciation once again, it is interesting to know that of the many movie entries that the Film Federation of India (FFI) has sent to the Academy, very few have in fact been nominated for the Best International Feature Film award category.
Also Read: Kiran Rao's 'Laapataa Ladies' Is India's Official Entry For Oscars 2025 Indian films which came close to winning an Oscar in the Best International Feature Film category The closest that any Indian film came to winning the prestigious award was ‘Mother India’. ‘Mother India’ was nominated in 1957 and lost by a single vote to 'Nights of Cabiria'. In 1988, 'Salaam Bombay!' was another India's official entry and got nominated for the Best International Film category but did not win.
Again in 2001, Aamir Khan's 'Lagaan' was nominated in the Best International Film Category but did not win the prestigious award. While India has received an Academy award in other categories, such as Bhanu Athaiya for costume design (Gandhi) and Satyajit Ray: Honorary Academy Award, AR Rahman for Best Original Score and 'RRR' and the 'The Elephant Whisperers' in other categories, a major win by an Indian film in the Best International Film category is still-awaited. Meanwhile, check out the complete list of India�.