Indian actress Deepika Padukone has strongly criticized the Academy Awards for repeatedly overlooking Indian films and talent, declaring that India has been “robbed” of Oscar recognition multiple times.
In a behind-the-scenes video shared on Instagram while preparing for the Louis Vuitton show at Paris Fashion Week, Deepika opened up about her personal connection to the Oscars. She recalled the emotional moment when RRR’s song Naatu Naatu won Best Original Song at the 2023 Academy Awards.
“India has been robbed of the Oscars many times. So many deserving films and talents have been snubbed. But I remember sitting in the audience, and when they announced RRR as the winner, I got emotional. I had nothing to do with that film, but it felt like a personal victory.”
Deepika, who introduced Naatu Naatu on stage at the 95th Academy Awards, shared the video on Sunday with the caption: “@adrienbrody take a bow!”—a nod to Adrien Brody’s Best Actor win for The Brutalist at the 2025 Oscars.
The clip also featured iconic Indian films like Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, Rahi Anil Barve’s Tumbbad, and Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox—all critically acclaimed but ignored by the Academy.
Deepika’s remarks highlight the growing debate on Indian cinema’s lack of global recognition, especially at prestigious platforms like the Oscars.
This year’s biggest Academy Award winner was Anora, which swept five categories, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Mikey Madison), and Best Director (Sean Baker).
Deepika Padukone, Louis Vuitton’s first-ever Indian global ambassador, attended the show at the Louvre’s Cour Carrée, making history yet again. She also recently spoke at the Forbes 30/50 Global Summit in Abu Dhabi and was last seen in the sci-fi epic Kalki 2898 AD.
