The last entry to be nominated was the 2001 film "Lagaan". Kiran Rao was an assistant director in that epic
Despite Bollywood's popularity worldwide, the mammoth Hindi-language film industry has made barely a dent in the Academy Awards, with just 10 Indian Oscar wins since 1957.
Kiran Rao is hoping to change that with "Lost Ladies"—India's official entry for best international film in 2025—which she said comes at a "special moment" for South Asian cinema centring women's stories.