Indian actress Deepika Padukone has criticised the Academy Awards for repeatedly overlooking deserving Indian films and talent, saying India has been “robbed of the Oscars many times.”
In a behind-the-scenes video shared on Instagram while getting ready for the Louis Vuitton show during Paris Fashion Week, Deepika Padukone opened up about her personal connection to the Oscars and recalled the emotional moment when RRR’s song Naatu Naatu won Best Original Song at the 2023 ceremony.
“India has been robbed of the Oscars many times. Many, many deserving movies I feel like have got snubbed. Whether it’s movies, whether it’s talent…” Deepika Padukone said. “But I remember being in the audience and when they announced RRR, I got emotional. Outside of being an Indian I had really nothing to do with that movie but that was a huge, huge moment. That felt very, very personal.”
Deepika Padukone, who introduced Naatu Naatu on stage at the Oscars that year, shared the new video on Sunday with the caption, “@adrienbrody take a bow!” referring to her favourite win from the 2025 ceremony – Adrien Brody’s Best Actor win for The Brutalist.
The video also featured clips from several acclaimed Indian films, including Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, Rahi Anil Barve’s Tumbadd, and Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox. None of these films were nominated for Oscars despite receiving critical acclaim.
Deepika Padukone’s remarks come as part of a broader conversation around the lack of recognition for Indian cinema on international stages, particularly at the Academy Awards.
This year’s biggest Oscar winner was Anora, which took home five awards including Best Picture, Best Actress for Mikey Madison, and Best Director for Sean Baker.
Deepika Padukone attended the Louis Vuitton show at the Cour Carrée in the Louvre, where she appeared as the brand’s global ambassador — a first for any Indian celebrity. She recently spoke at the Forbes 30/50 Global Summit in Abu Dhabi and was last seen in the sci-fi film Kalki 2898 AD.
