97th Oscars: Priyanka Chopra, Guneet Monga's ‘Anuja’ loses to Dutch film ‘I'm Not A Robot’

Priyanka Chopra and Guneet Monga-backed short film “Anuja” lost to the Dutch-language movie “I'm Not a Robot” at the 97th Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

“Anuja”, which follows the story of a gifted nine-year-old girl navigating a life-changing opportunity alongside her sister Palak, was competing in the Best Live Action Short category at the 2025 Oscars. The film reflects the struggles of young girls worldwide.

Other nominees in the category included “A Lien,” “The Last Ranger,” and “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent.”

The winning film, “I'm Not A Robot,” directed by Victoria Warmerdam, is a science fiction short. Its synopsis states: “After failing an online CAPTCHA test, Max faces an existential crisis when he begins to suspect he might actually be a robot.”

Along with Priyanka Chopra and Guneet Monga, Hollywood star and writer Mindy Kaling also served as a producer for “Anuja”, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

Directed by Adam J. Graves, “Anuja” tells the story of its nine-year-old protagonist who works in a back-alley garment factory with her older sister. The narrative follows her as she faces a critical decision that could shape her future and her family’s fate.

The short film was developed in collaboration with Mira Nair’s Salaam Baalak Trust and features Sajda Pathan in the lead role. The production team includes Graves Films, Shine Global Inc (known for Oscar-winning films “War/Dance” and “Inocente”), Krushan Naik Films, and Salaam Baalak Trust.

In January, Priyanka Chopra expressed her pride in the “beautiful film”, where she served as an executive producer.

She also took to Instagram Stories, sharing a snapshot of a news article from Variety.com titled: “Netflix Acquires ‘Anuja,’ Oscar-Shortlisted Short Film Backed by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Mindy Kaling, and Guneet Monga Kapoor.”