Indian films that made history at the Oscars: From ‘Mother India’ to ‘RRR’

For over ninety years, the Oscars have stood as the biggest prize in filmmaking. In India, a country that churns out thousands of movies every year, in dozens of languages, the road to Oscar fame hasn’t been easy, nor smooth. It’s taken decades, a lot of passion, and some truly unforgettable moments. Sure, in 1992, filmmaker Satyajit Ray became the first Indian to be honored with an Honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement, but for Indian films to be recognized at that global level — that still is a rare feat. Largely because breaking into the Oscars meant crossing big cultural and language barriers.

However, a handful of Indian movies have pulled it off. Some got nominated for major awards. Others even won. The up-and-coming filmmakers are only carrying forward that tradition. Every so often, a film has come along and completely changed how the world sees Indian cinema.

Here, let’s take a look at the Indian films that made history and left a mark at the Oscars stage.

This is where it all really started. Mehboob Khan’s ‘Mother India’ was the first Indian film to grab an Oscar nomination, for Best Foreign Language Film back in 1957. In the film, Nargis, in the female lead, plays Radha, a poor village woman fighting to raise her sons with dignity, all while dealing with crushing poverty and a merciless moneylender. The film didn’t win the much-coveted golden statue, but the nomination itself was a huge deal. It put Indian storytelling on the world map and showed everyone that India had something powerful to say.

Then, there’s ‘Gandhi’, directed by none other than Richard Attenborough, that takes you through the remarkable life of Mahatma Gandhi, the face of India’s freedom movement. Even though it was a co-production between India and the United Kingdom, and mostly a British project, Indian talent and perspective ran deep throughout. The film didn’t just make waves; it swept the Oscars, grabbing 11 nominations and winning eight, including Best Picture, Best Director, and a Best Actor win for Ben Kingsley. The movie also made history when Bhanu Athaiya became the first Indian to bring home an Oscar, winning for Best Costume Design.

Jump ahead more than thirty years, and you get ‘Salaam Bombay!’ by Nair. This film picked up another Best Foreign Language Film nomination, becoming the second Indian movie ever to make it that far. The film follows a bunch of street kids as they try to survive Mumbai’s slums. It’s tough, honest, and real. What set it apart? Many of the actors in the film were actual street children, trained just for this film. ‘Salaam Bombay!’ was praised everywhere for its ingenuity, its raw look at poverty and resilience, and it gave the world a window into a side of India most had never seen.

Then came ‘Lagaan’. Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, this film had Aamir Khan as the lead male protagonist (he produced it as well). The movie landed a Best Foreign Language Film nomination at the 2002 Oscars. Set during British rule, the story of this film is about a group of villagers who risk everything on a cricket match against their colonial rulers, just to avoid ‘lagaan’, which is paying crushing taxes. The blend of sports, history, and music hit home with audiences everywhere. ‘Lagaan’ didn’t win the Academy Award, but it’s still one of the most celebrated Indian Oscar contenders ever.

‘Slumdog Millionaire’, another British-Indian co-production, came from British director Danny Boyle, but at its core, it’s all about India: the story, the cast, even the music. The film became a sensation at the 2009 Oscars, taking home eight awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Indian artists played a huge role in that success: A.R. Rahman won two Oscars for Best Original Score and Best Song (‘Jai Ho’), Gulzar also won for Best Original Song, and Resul Pookutty took home the award for Best Sound Mixing.

Over the last few years, Indian documentaries started making waves, too. ‘Writing With Fire’, directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, became the first Indian feature documentary to get an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature. It follows the fierce journalists of Khabar Lahariya, a news outlet run by Dalit women in rural India, as they switch from print to digital reporting. The nomination showed just how much the world is starting to notice India’s powerful grassroots stories.

And, of course, there’s 'RRR.' S.S. Rajamouli’s blockbuster not only thrilled audiences but also made Oscar history. The song ‘Naatu Naatu’ from the movie, composed by M.M. Keeravani and written by Chandrabose, won Best Original Song at the 2023 Oscars. Not just that, the electrifying dance, the infectious beat — all of it all went viral on the stage of the Academy Awards, and the win marked the first time a song from an Indian film took home the gold.

Shaunak Sen’s ‘All That Breathes’ took Indian documentary filmmaking even further. Nominated for Best Documentary Feature, it tells the story of two brothers in Delhi who dedicate their lives to rescuing black kites and other birds hurt by the city’s awful air pollution. The film’s poetic storytelling and strong environmental message won over critics and the audience everywhere.

Then came ‘The Elephant Whisperers’, directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga. This one didn’t just get nominated; it won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film. The story of this documentary is as heartwarming as it gets: it follows Bomman and Bellie, an indigenous couple in Tamil Nadu, as they care for an orphaned baby elephant named Raghu. It’s heartfelt and honest, and its win made history as the first Indian production to take home the prize in that category.