Kantara Chapter 1, Tanvi The Great enter Oscars 2026 Best Picture eligibility list

Indian cinema has secured representation in the run-up to the 98th Academy Awards, with Rishab Shetty’s Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1 and Anupam Kher’s Tanvi The Great entering the list of 201 feature films eligible for consideration in the Best Picture category. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the qualifying titles ahead of the nominations scheduled for January 22.

To be eligible for the Best Picture race, films must complete specific criteria beyond general submission, including a qualifying theatrical run and completion of the Representation and Inclusion Standards Entry (RAISE) form. Movies are also required to meet at least two of the four inclusion standards and secure a qualifying theatrical engagement in 10 of the top 50 U.S. markets within 45 days of their release in 2025.

Kantara: Chapter 1, produced by Hombale Films, explores the origins of Daiva worship in Tulunadu and traces its roots back to the fourth-century Kadamba dynasty. Actor-director Rishab Shetty plays Berme, the guardian of the Kantara forest and its tribal communities.

Tanvi The Great, directed by veteran actor Anupam Kher, follows Tanvi Raina, a young girl with autism who dreams of joining the Indian Army in memory of her late father. The film stars Shubhangi in the lead, alongside Anupam Kher, Jackie Shroff, Boman Irani, and Karan Tacker.