Priyanka Chopra and Guneet Monga-backed short film Anuja&nbsp;lost the Best Live Action Short Oscar to Dutch sci-fi film I&rsquo;m Not A Robot&nbsp;at the 97th Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Directed by Adam J. Graves, Anuja&nbsp;follows a gifted nine-year-old girl who, alongside her sister, faces a life-changing opportunity. The film, currently streaming on Netflix, was produced by Chopra, Monga, and Mindy Kaling in collaboration with Mira Nair&rsquo;s Salaam Baalak Trust.
Anuja&nbsp;was among the nominees alongside A Lien, The Last Ranger, and The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent.
The winning short, I&rsquo;m Not a Robot, is a sci-fi film directed by Victoria Warmerdam. It follows Max, who experiences an existential crisis after failing an online CAPTCHA test and suspecting he might actually be a robot.
Meanwhile, Hollywood star Zoe Saldana won Best Supporting Actress for her role as an attorney for a cartel leader in Jacques Audiard&rsquo;s&nbsp;Emilia Perez. Fighting back tears, she dedicated the award to her family.
&ldquo;My grandmother came to this country in 1961. I am a proud child of immigrant parents,&rdquo; she said, her voice breaking. &ldquo;With dreams, dignity, and hard-working hands, and I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award&mdash;but I know I will not be the last.&rdquo; She also highlighted the significance of winning for a role where she performed in Spanish, adding, &ldquo;My grandmother, if she were here, would be so delighted. This is for her.&rdquo;
Saldana&rsquo;s win adds to her SAG, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice awards for the same role.
Despite its 13 nominations&mdash;more than any other film this year&mdash;the Spanish-language musical faced controversy. Lead actress Karla Sof&iacute;a Gasc&oacute;n was criticized for past offensive tweets, while director Jacques Audiard drew backlash for remarks about the Spanish language and his approach to Mexican culture and trans representation.
At the Oscars, Saldana triumphed over Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown), Isabella Rossellini (Conclave), Felicity Jones (The Brutalist), and Ariana Grande (Wicked). 
(With agency input)

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March 3, 2025 | 10:47 IST