India Still Awaits Its First Oscar in Best Foreign Feature Film; Only 3 Out of 58 Entries Have Come Close

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.

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.

Source : IMDb

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.

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’s official entries at the Oscars over the years.

Year (Ceremony)	Film Title	Language
2025 (97th)	Laapataa Ladies	Hindi
2024 (96th)	Everyone is a Hero	Malayalam
2023 (95th)	Chhello Show	Gujarati
2022 (94th)	Koozhangal	Tamil
2021 (93rd)	Jallikattu	Malayalam
2020 (92nd)	Gully Boy	Hindi
2019 (91st)	Village Rockstars	Assamese
2018 (90th)	Newton	Hindi
2017 (89th)	Visaranai	Tamil
2016 (88th)	Court	Marathi
2015 (87th)	Liar's Dice	Hindi
2014 (86th)	The Good Road	Gujarati
2013 (85th)	Barfi!	Hindi
2012 (84th)	Abu, Son of Adam	Malayalam
2011 (83rd)	Peepli Live	Hindi
2010 (82nd)	Harishchandra's Factory	Marathi
2009 (81st)	Taare Zameen Par	Hindi
2008 (80th)	Eklavya: The Royal Guard	Hindi
2007 (79th)	Rang De Basanti	Hindi
2006 (78th)	Paheli	Hindi
2005 (77th)	Shwaas	Marathi
2004 (76th)	The Breath	Marathi
2003 (75th)	Devdas	Hindi
2002 (74th)	Lagaan	Hindi/English
2001 (73rd)	Hey Ram	Tamil/Hindi
2000 (72nd)	Earth	Hindi
1999 (71st)	Jeans	Tamil
1998 (70th)	Guru	Malayalam
1997 (69th)	Indian	Tamil
1996 (68th)	Kuruthipunal	Tamil
1995 (67th)	Muhafiz	Hindi
1994 (66th)	Rudaali	Hindi
1993 (65th)	Thevar Magan	Tamil
1992 (64th)	Henna	Hindi/Urdu
1991 (63rd)	Anjali	Tamil
1990 (62nd)	Parinda	Hindi
1989 (61st)	Salaam Bombay!	Hindi
1988 (60th)	Nayagan	Tamil
1987 (59th)	Swathi Muthyam	Telugu
1986 (58th)	Saagar	Hindi
1985 (57th)	Saaransh	Hindi
1980 (53rd)	Payal Ki Jhankaar	Hindi
1978 (51st)	The Chess Players	Urdu/Hindi
1977 (50th)	Manthan	Hindi
1974 (47th)	Garam Hawa	Urdu
1973 (46th)	Saudagar	Hindi
1972 (45th)	Uphaar	Hindi
1971 (44th)	Reshma Aur Shera	Hindi
1969 (42nd)	Deiva Magan	Tamil
1968 (41st)	Elder Sister	Hindi
1967 (40th)	The Last Letter	Hindi
1966 (39th)	Amrapali	Hindi
1965 (38th)	The Guide	Hindi
1963 (36th)	Metropolis	Bengali
1962 (35th)	Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam	Hindi/Urdu
1959 (32nd)	The World of Apu	Bengali
1958 (31st)	Madhumati	Hindi
1957 (30th)	Mother India	Hindi