Guneet Monga Thanks Backers Mindy Kaling, Bela Bajaria After Anuja Loses Oscar

Photo: Instagram

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA – Mindy Kaling and Guneet Monga-backed Anuja, a short film set in New Delhi, lost the Oscar for Best Live Action Short to the Dutch-language film I’m Not a Robot on February 2.

Monga posted hours later, “We attended the event with our short film ‘Anuja’, but this is just the beginning. As long as we continue to dream and create, we will return again soon! ” she wrote.

“All hail independent cinema! Independent storytellers hold the truth, and we must continue to champion them. I am deeply grateful to the Academy for bringing ‘Anuja’ to a global stage. As Producer Samantha Quan said, ‘To all the dreamers and young filmmakers—tell the stories that move you. You will never regret it’,” added the producer.

She also thanked Kaling and Bela Bajaria of Netflix among others, “Every effort made by our incredible team—Sajda Pathan, Ananya Shanbhag, Adam Graves, Suchitra Mattai, Mindy Kaling, Priyanka Chopra, Bela Bajaria, Monika Shergill, and the entire ‘Anuja’ family—has been worthwhile. I joined this project not only to support the filmmakers but also to amplify the resilience and voices of children. Skills, strength, and spirit—the girls have it all.

Directed by Adam J. Graves, Anuja follows a nine-year-old girl working alongside her older sister, Palak, in a back-alley garment factory.

The film shines a spotlight on a subject that affects millions of children around the world, who are faced with the impossible decision between a future they cannot yet see and the immediate realities of their present.”

She added, “Anuja is a poignant, thought-provoking piece that makes us reflect deeply on the power of choices and how they shape the course of our lives. I am immensely proud to be associated with such a phenomenal and impactful project.”

The film entered the Oscar race after receiving acclaim at festivals such as the HollyShorts Film Festival, New York Shorts International Film Festival, and Montclair Film Festival.