As Oscar season finally rolls around, it's time to get caught up with all the nominees for this year's top prizes in film.
From the controversial Emilia Pérez, the Spanish musical which earned a whopping 13 nominations, to Flow, the Latvian animated adventure that won the Golden Globe over heavy hitters The Wild Robot and Inside Out 2, foreign language films are dominating this year's ceremony.
One among them that is gaining significant traction, however, is Anuja, the Hindi short film that is nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards.
Here's what you need to know about Anuja, from the A-list team behind it to its plot and where you can now stream it…
What is Anuja about?
The emotional 22-minute film centers around the titular Anuja, played by Sajda Pathan, an intelligent nine-year-old girl who works for meager wages at a garment factory and lives on the streets with her older sister.
© Everett/ShutterstockShe is presented with the life-changing opportunity to go to school, but has to make the difficult decision to choose between bettering her life with an education or staying with her sister, who also works at the factory. Its themes of child labor, poverty and female education are prevalent themes in Indian filmmaking and issues that remain at large to this day.
Who is working on it?
The film was directed by philosopher-turned-filmmaker Adam J. Graves and boasts a top-tier list of producers, which includes Guneet Monga, who won an Oscar in 2023 for her documentary short film The Elephant Whisperers. Adam and his wife Suchitra Mattai are the central nominees.
Also listed among the producers are Mindy Kaling and Priyanka Chopra. Priyanka shared a shoutout for the film on her social media, saying she "highly recommended" it, and praised its message and cast when announcing herself as one of the producers.
© Getty Images"Watching Sajda and Ananya bring this powerful tale to life is an experience," the Bollywood star penned. "Their performances are raw, honest, and utterly captivating. Anuja is more than just a film – it's a testament to the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood, the resilience of the human spirit, and the hope that carries us through even the darkest times."
Where can you watch it?
The short film is now available to watch on Netflix. On February 5, Anuja was released to the streaming platform, the only one of the nominated short films available on Netflix.
© Everett/ShutterstockIt joins the likes of Emilia Pérez, Dune: Part Two, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl among others from this year's Oscar nominated slate.
Which films are also nominated against Anuja?
This year, a majority of the nominated short films are also foreign language films, including the Dutch I'm Not a Robot, the South African The Last Ranger and the Croatian The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent.
© Everett/ShutterstockThe only English-language nominee this year is the American film A Lien.
