New Delhi: Excitement builds for the 98th Academy Awards as 201 feature films qualify for the Best Picture race. Among them, eleven Indian entries—Rishab
Shetty’s Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1, Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, Marathi film Dashavatar, and others—have made the cut, boosting India’s Oscar hopes.
With nominations set for January 17, 2026, these films meet strict rules on theatre runs and inclusion standards. Will Indian cinema finally claim the top prize?
Indian films in the list
Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1, produced by Hombale Films, explores the origins of Daiva worship in Tulunadu during the fourth-century Kadamba dynasty. Rishab Shetty stars as Berme, the guardian of the Kantara forest and its tribes.
Tanvi The Great, directed by Anupam Kher, stars Shubhangi as Tanvi Raina, a girl with autism inspired by her late father’s Indian Army service to chase her dreams. It also features Anupam Kher, Jackie Shroff, Boman Irani, and Karan Tacker. Both films cleared extra eligibility beyond general entry.
Other key nominated films include Homebound, Dashavatar, Mahavtar Narsimha, Sister Midnight, Paro, Papa Buka, Mahamantra, and Tourist Family, also find themselves on the list.
Key global films selected
The list includes big Hollywood titles like Superman, Mickey 17, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and A Minecraft Movie. Other notables are M3GAN 2.0, Thunderbolts, 28 Years Later, The Life of Chuck, and Materialists.
Anime fans note Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle. These films join 317 total eligible across categories.
Selection process details
Films needed theatrical releases in 10 of the top 50 US markets for 45 days post-2025 launch. They submitted a confidential RAISE form and met two of four Academy inclusion standards.
This follows November 2025 eligibility for 317 films in the Documentary, Animation, and International categories. Nominations voting runs January 8-12, 2026.
Recent 98th Oscars buzz
Shortlists in 12 categories, like Documentary and Visual Effects, were dropped in December 2025. The Academy probes scientific tech for April 2026 awards.
Overall, 317 films qualify for the 98th Oscars, slightly down from last year’s 323. Eyes now turn to shortlists and noms.
