Deepika Padukone Calls Out Oscar Snubs, Says Indian Films Deserved More Recognition

Actor Deepika Padukone believes that many Indian films deserved to win at the Oscars but were unfairly overlooked. She shared her thoughts in a recent video on her Instagram, where she was seen getting ready for the Louis Vuitton show in Paris. In the clip, she spoke about the Academy Awards and recalled witnessing India’s big win for Naatu Naatu from RRR.

Deepika mentioned that there was one Oscar win this year that made her very happy. It was the Best Actor award, which went to Adrien Brody for The Brutalist. However, when asked if there was an Oscar moment that felt personal to her, she had a strong response.

“India has been robbed of the Oscars many times. Many, many deserving movies I feel like has got snubbed. Whether it’s movies, whether it’s talent… But I remember being in the audience and when they announced RRR, I got emotional. Outside of being an Indian, I had really nothing to do with that movie but that was a huge, huge moment. That felt very, very personal,” she said.

RRR won the Oscar for Best Original Song for Naatu Naatu in 2023, marking a historic moment for Indian cinema. In the video, Deepika also featured clips from critically acclaimed Indian films like Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, Rahi Anil Barve’s Tumbbad, and Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox. Despite receiving international praise, these films were not nominated for the Oscars.

At the 97th Academy Awards, Anora was the biggest winner, bagging five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Mikey Madison, and Best Director, Editing, and Original Screenplay for Sean Baker.

Deepika attended the Louis Vuitton show at the iconic Cour Carrée du Louvre in Paris. She continues to make India proud as the first Indian global ambassador for luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Cartier.