We will return soon: Producer Guneet Monga after ‘Anuja’ misses out on Oscar

We will return soon: Producer Guneet Monga after ‘Anuja’ misses out on Oscar

Hours after the short film Anuja lost out on the Best Live Action Short Oscar, producer Guneet Monga on Monday said she joined the project not only to support the filmmakers but also to amplify the voices of children.

The New Delhi-set coming-of-age film, directed by Adam J Graves, was bested by the Dutch-language short I'm Not A Robot at the ceremony which was held in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Anuja, starring Sajda Pathan and Ananya Shanbhag, follows a gifted nine-year-old Anuja, who must make a choice between education and factory work alongside her sister - a decision that will shape both their futures. It is streaming on Netflix.

Two-time Oscar winner Monga, who boarded Anuja as executive producer last year, in an Instagram post said celebrating independent cinema at the 97th Academy Awards is a testament to the idea that dreams do come true.

"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! (sic)" she wrote.

The short is produced in collaboration with the Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT), a nonprofit founded by filmmaker Mira Nair's family in support of street and working children, alongside Shine Global, and Krushan Naik Films.

"Anuja is a 22-minute love letter to girls who refuse to be defined by their circumstances, and it aligns perfectly with the vision and mission of the Salaam Baalak Trust, where our young lead, Sajda Pathan, resides," Monga said.