‘Kantara: Chapter 1’, ‘Tanvi The Great’ among four Indian films eligible for Oscars 2026

Four Indian titles, including Kannada blockbuster "Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1" and the Hindi film "Tanvi The Great", are among the 201 feature films eligible to compete for the Best Picture award at Oscars 2026, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced.

The Academy on Thursday, January 8, released the "Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 98th Academy Awards". The list of films that satisfy the eligibility criteria for consideration in the general categories, including Best Picture, is the step before the nominations that will be announced on January 22.

Besides Rishabh Shetty’s "Kantara" and Anupam Kher’s directorial, the other two Indian productions are multilingual animated film "Mahavatar Narsimha" and Tamil title "Tourist Family" by first-time filmmaker Abishan Jeevinth.

Radhika Apte-starrer "Sister Midnight", a Hindi language UK-India co-production, has also made it to the list.

In all, 317 feature films are eligible for the 98th Academy Awards, the Academy said. Of these, 201 meet the additional eligibility requirements required for consideration in the Best Picture category.

Inclusion in the reminder list does not guarantee a nomination. Films must still undergo the Academy’s voting process.

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To be eligible for consideration in the general entry categories, feature films must have opened in a commercial motion picture theatre in at least one of six US metropolitan areas — Los Angeles County, New York City, the Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta — between January 1 and December 31, 2025.

They must have also completed a minimum qualifying run of seven consecutive days at the same venue, the Academy said.

For Best Picture consideration, films must fulfil the general eligibility criteria and submit a confidential Academy Representation and Inclusion Standards Entry (RAISE) form. They are also required to meet at least two of the four Academy inclusion standards, along with an expanded theatrical eligibility requirement, which includes a seven-day theatrical run — consecutive or non-consecutive — in 10 of the top 50 US markets within 45 days of the film’s initial release in 2025.

In December 2025, the Academy unveiled its Oscars shortlists for 12 categories, including International Feature Film. Neeraj Ghaywan’s "Homebound", India’s official entry to the Academy Awards this year, has made it to the list of 15 films shortlisted in the category.

A total of 24 categories will be awarded at the 98th Oscars on March 15. Each category has five nominees, except for Best Picture, which has 10.

Best Picture nominations are determined by eligible members from all 19 Academy branches. All rounds of Oscars voting are conducted through a secret online ballot.

In 2025, the Academy had announced a list of 323 feature films eligible for the 97th Academy Awards, which included 11 Indian titles.

Among them were Payal Kapadia’s "All We Imagine As Light", Shuchi Talati’s "Girls Will Be Girls", Kiran Rao’s "Laapataa Ladies", and the Randeep Hooda-starrer "Swatantrya Veer Savarkar".