Published By: Nirtika Pandita

The Indian movies that made their way to the Oscars

There are various cinematic gems from India that make to the prestigious awards list

Just like its rich tradition and culture, India also has a vast repertoire of cinema that dates back a long time. Over centuries filmmakers with extraordinary narratives and execution have made their work reach the Oscar race. Making to the Oscar list are not just the Hindi language films but regional language films as well with intriguing subject lines, exceptional acting, and great execution. Right from the era of black and white films to the colour screen, many Indian movies have made their way to the Oscar race. So here is presenting a list of movies from the Indian cinema making it to the Oscar.

Mother India

This 1957 epic drama film by director Mehboob Khan, starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, and Raaj Kumar in the leading role, is one of the highlights of Indian cinema. The film is a remake of Khan's 1940 film Aurat. The plot of the film tells the story of a poverty-stricken woman named Radha, played by Nargis. Radha is struggling to raise her two sons in the absence of her husband in a society that has an obnoxious money-lender after her life.

An Encounter with Faces

This 1978 short documentary film by director VidhuVinod Chopra focuses on a group of children in an orphanage. The plot of the documentary revolves around a group of children in an orphanage. The film captures their experiences and the socio-economic plight these kids have to go through, all showing through the lens of the children themselves. The film was nominated in 1978 for an Academy Award under the category of Documentary Short Subject owing to its outstanding visuals and cinematography.

The House That Ananda Built

This 1968 Indian short documentary film by director FaliBilimoria follows Ananda, a successful businessman from Nagpur. As the story proceeds, it shows us the day-to-day dealing of a typical Oriya family in rural Nagpur. The film further shows his life cycle, his children, and his beliefs over a very long life from prior to independence until 20 years after. This short documentary film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

Salaam Bombay!

This 1988 drama film, directed, co-written, and co-produced by Mira Nair, depicts the daily lives of children living in the slums of Bombay (now Mumbai), India's largest city, as well as crime in India. The film begins with Krishna setting his elder brother's motorbike on fire which is retaliation for being bullied by him. From here on, the film shows the difficult lives of more such children from the slums of Mumbai.