Laapataa Ladies, which was India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category, could not advance further, leaving many fans and filmmakers disappointed.

However, India still has a reason to hope. Monga’s Anuja has been shortlisted in the Best Live-Action Short Film category. The film sheds light on the important issue of child labour in the garment industry and features actor Nagesh Bhonsle in a key role.

This is Monga’s third nomination at the Oscars. Her earlier projects, The Elephant Whisperers and Period: End of Sentence, won Oscars, bringing glory to Indian cinema.

Apart from Anuja, another film that remains in the Oscars race is ‘Santosh’, a British-Indian film directed by Sandhya Suri. Featuring actor Shahana Goswami, Santosh is the United Kingdom’s official entry for the Oscars. The film premiered earlier this year in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced 30 shortlisted films in contention for the Best Live Action Short and Best Animated Short Oscar categories. Some other shortlisted contenders include Clodagh, The Compatriot, Crust, Dovecote, Edge of Space, and The Ice Cream Man.