(The Oscars and India) Today marks a momentous occasion: Name: Guneet Monga
The Oscars and India
“Today I can say that Indian cinema’s future is bold, that it is here, and that it is truly female!”
Guneet Monga’s production company, Sikhya Entertainment, is well-known for its support of artists who seek to effect social change. They have a history of selecting unique stories, like the ones that made The Lunchbox (2013) (starring Irrfan) and Pagglait (2021) (starring Sanya Malhotra) such huge box office hits.
Once before, for her short film Kavi, she was nominated for an Academy Award (2010). In 2018, she won an Academy Award for her role as executive producer on the documentary short “Period. End of Sentence,” and in 2022, she won another Academy Award for her work on the documentary short The Elephant Whisperers.
As far as we know, this is the first Oscar for an Indian short film.
After the victory, she reflected on how significant the moment was. Guneet and I, along with director Kartiki Gonsalves, represented India on the world stage to achieve this milestone victory as two women. To have an independent Indian production company make history by bringing home an Oscar for an Indian film is a tremendous honour, and I couldn’t be happier or prouder of the incredible team I’ve assembled at Sikhya Entertainment to make it happen. All the happiness, love, and anticipation fills my heart to bursting. Kartiki is such a wonderful visionary, and I am so grateful to her. In addition to providing us with the world’s largest audience, Netflix also provided unwavering support and confidence in our abilities. I can now confidently proclaim, “The future of Indian cinema is here, and it’s truly female.
