Los Angeles, March 3: The 97th Academy Awards witnessed a remarkable night for the film Anora, which emerged as the biggest winner, securing five Oscars, including Best Picture. The ceremony also brought recognition to The Brutalist, which earned three prestigious awards.

As per agency report, Anora claimed top honors in key categories such as Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Editing, further cementing its status as the standout film of the year. Actress Mikey Madison won Best Actress for her role in Anora, while The Brutalist saw Adrian Brody take home the Oscar for Best Actor.

The competition was fierce, but Anora’s compelling storytelling, masterful direction, and outstanding performances allowed it to dominate the evening. Meanwhile, The Brutalist also received critical acclaim, securing victories in three major categories.

The Oscars 2025 turned out to be a night of cinematic brilliance, celebrating the industry’s finest talents and leaving movie enthusiasts across the world with unforgettable moments. The grand event reaffirmed the power of storytelling and the artistic excellence that continues to shape the world of cinema.

New Delhi, December 18 – India's official entry for the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature category, Laapataa Ladies, directed by Kiran Rao, is no longer in the running for the Oscars 2025.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced on Wednesday morning that Laapataa Ladies failed to make it to the shortlist of 15 films competing for a place in the final five nominees.

'Santosh' Makes the Cut

Meanwhile, British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri’s film Santosh has secured a spot on the coveted shortlist. The film, featuring Indian actresses Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar, joins an impressive lineup that includes France’s Emilia Pérez, Brazil’s I Am Still Here, Canada’s Universal Language, the Czech Republic’s Waves, Denmark’s The Girl with the Needle, and Germany’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig.

Final Nominations to Be Announced on January 17

The Academy will reveal the final nominations for the Oscars on January 17, 2025, marking the next milestone in the race for the prestigious awards.

India’s Hopes Dashed

In September, the Film Federation of India (FFI) unanimously selected Laapataa Ladies as the country's official submission for the Oscars. The Hindi-language film, directed by Kiran Rao, explores unique narratives rooted in rural India. However, it was unable to advance to the next stage of the competition.

A Hopeful Note

Despite this setback, Indian cinema continues to make its mark on the global stage with Santosh representing a strong contender for the Academy Awards. The inclusion of Santosh highlights the growing recognition of diverse Indian talents in international cinema.

Los Angeles, March 11th : Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" dominated the 96th Academy Awards, taking home the most prestigious prize of the night, Best Picture.

The film swept several major categories, with wins for Best Director (Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Original Score, Best Cinematography (Hoyte van Hoytema), and Best Film Editing (Jennifer Lame).

Other Highlights of the Ceremony

• Emma Stone Wins Best Actress: Stone received the award for her leading role in "Poor Things."
• Billie Eilish and Finneas Win Best Original Song: The duo won for "What Was I Made For?" from the film "Barbie."
• Documentary Awards: "20 Days in Mariupol" won Best Documentary Feature, while "The Last Repair Shop" took home the award for Best Documentary Short.
• Action Short Film: "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" received the Oscar in this category.

A Night of History

The ceremony also included a segment on the rich history of the Oscars. The segment highlighted the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929, the origins of the iconic Oscar statuette, and the evolution of the award show itself.

New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) Ram Charan, the acclaimed Indian actor, along with his wife Upasana, has returned to India after a historic win at the Oscars in the Best Original Song category for the song "Naatu Naatu" from the movie 'RRR'. The couple, who are expecting their first child soon, were given a warm welcome by a swarm of fans and media at the New Delhi airport on Friday morning.

Amidst the chaos, Ram Charan carefully navigated his way through the crowd with his wife and spoke to the media in Hindi, stating that the song "Naatu Naatu" is not just their song, but it's the nation's song. "Your love has taken it to the Oscars and given it a chance to win there," he added.

The 44-year-old actor was overwhelmed with emotions and expressed his gratitude towards his fans and supporters who made it possible for the song to achieve international recognition. The song, composed by MM Keeravani and sung by Amit Trivedi and Anirudh Ravichander, has become an instant hit among the Indian audience for its catchy tune and lively beats.

The win at the Oscars has put a spotlight on Indian cinema and music, making it clear that the country has an immense talent pool waiting to be discovered. The achievement has also given hope to many aspiring artists who dream of making it big on the global stage.

Tourists are flocking to Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu after the documentary short film "The Elephant Whisperers" won an Oscar at the 95th Academy Awards.

The film revolves around the two elephants, Raghu and Ammu, and their mahouts, Bomman and Bellie. The camp, which was set up in 1917 for timber loggers, currently houses 28 elephants that were captured while they were wild tuskers causing problems for local villagers.

These elephants are trained to become "kumki" elephants that help in the capture of wild elephants.

Tourists, both local and foreign, are visiting the camp to meet the elephants and their mahouts and learn about their bonding.

India had a remarkable outing at the 95th Academy Awards with three nominations and two wins.

Actress Deepika Padukone made her debut at the prestigious event, choosing to showcase old Hollywood glamour on the champagne-gold carpet. The actress paired her glamorous bespoke Louis Vuitton gown with a Cartier necklace. However, her fashion choice received mixed reviews with some calling it boring and predictable, while others found it glamorous.

Meanwhile, the song 'Naatu Naatu' from the film RRR won the Oscars for Best Original Song and stole the show. The actors, Junior NTR and Ram Charan, were seen cheering the loudest while dressed in Indian designers and silhouettes for the occasion.

Malala Yousafzai and Lady Gaga were among the international celebrities who made a significant impact with their outfits at the event.

Mumbaiरू Indian actor Ram Charan attended the South Asian Excellence pre-Oscars event and Priyanka Chopra Jones's party, along with his wife Upasana Konidela.

Priyanka and Ram Charan share a great camaraderie as the two have worked together in the 2013 film 'Zanjeer'.

Ram and his wife spent time with the actors, directors and producers from the west. He wore a Dolce and Gabbana suit paired with glasses.

Ram is currently in the US waiting for the Oscar awards to take place on Sunday. His song 'Naatu Naatu' from the film 'RRR' is nominated at the 95th Oscar awards.

'Naatu Naatu' has already won a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award this year. At the Oscars, the song is contending against tracks sung by Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

'RRR' stars NTR Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt and Shriya Saran and tells the fictional story of two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem and their fight against the British Raj.

Set in the 1920s, the plot explores the undocumented period in their lives when both the revolutionaries chose to go into obscurity before they began the fight for their country.

Los Angeles (IANS) : As the Oscar race gets intense, filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli's magnum opus continues to make waves on the global canvas as 'RRR' bagged 4 awards at the Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Awards.

The film won Best International Film, Best Action Film, Best Stunts, and Best Original Song for the Oscar-nominated track 'Naatu Naatu'. The film managed to beat the Tom Cruise-starrer 'Top Gun: Maverick'.

As Rajamouli took to the stage, he was joined by actor, Ram Charan to accept the Best International Film award.

The actor said: "I didn't expect to come up on stage. I was just told by my director to accompany him. Thank you so much for giving us all this love. It's a great response, so we are going to come back with better films and entertain you all. Thank you so much."

With the current momentum and having bagged honours at the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles this year, all eyes are now set on the film's run at the Oscars which are set to be held on March 12 the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.