Guneet Monga’s journey with The Academy over the years, has been a resounding chiming of glory and success for Indian Cinema.
The ace producer has truly owned the Oscars, with sheer dedication and putting the solid power of networking to use, as she keeps reiterating.
With all eyes on the upcoming 97th Annual Academy Awards, one cannot help but look back at her consistency at the Oscars, over the years.
Some of us might also be unaware, that Guneet Monga’s film Kavi, which was directed by Gregg Helvey, was nominated for the 2010 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. The film had bagged the Student Academy Award for Narrative.
Guneet Monga was the producer of Kavi, the plot of the drama film revolved around a boy who attempts to escape his life as a virtual slave, from the brick kiln, where he is forced to work as a bonded labourer.
Fast forward to 2018, and Guneet Monga added another feather to her reigning cap, as one of the first producers from India to be inducted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
But the journey was not to be halted, only to expand from hereon.
Anuja, produced by heavyweights such as Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Guneet Monga Kapoor, and Mindy Kaling, is in the Oscar race this year. Their short film has been nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards.
It is indeed a momentous feat for Indian cinema. If Anuja bags the award, this would mean a hattrick for Guneet Monga, with her winning the Academy Award twice earlier.
Let us have a look at how Guneet Monga has been at the forefront of the Oscars, over the years:
Period. End of Sentence (2019)
Backed by Guneet Monga’s Sikhya Entertainment, Period. End of Sentence won the Oscar in the Documentary Short Subject category at the 91st Academy Awards.
The film was helmed by American filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi, and created by The Pad Project. This was an organisation that was founded by a group of students at the Oakwood School in Los Angeles and their teacher, Melissa Berton.
Period. End of Sentence is the tale of women in India and their perpetual struggle towards the stigma that engulfs taboo topics like menstruation. The duration of the film was 26 minutes, and it highlighted the sorrow of girls and women in Hapur, in northern India, and their tedious experience with pad machine installations in their village.
The director had even given a shout-out to Guneet Monga for her fortitude of always backing films with soul, purpose, and a message to connect with the masses.
Zehtabchi had said, “Guneet Monga—know that you have been empowering women all over the world to fight for menstrual equality.”
Guneet Monga had expressed her joy on X, on her global recognition.
Have a look:
WE WON!!! To every girl on this earth… know that you are a goddess… if heavens are listening… look MA we put @sikhya on the map ❤️
— Guneet Monga Kapoor (@guneetm) February 25, 2019
The Elephant Whisperers (2023)
Guneet Monga once again scripted history in 2023, as her Netflix Documentary Short—The Elephant Whisperers won in the Best Documentary Short category at the 95th Academy Awards.
The 41-minute short was directed by Kartiki Gonsalves. The heartfelt story revolves around the lives of The Elephant Whisperers, Bomman and Bellie, a South Indian couple, and their bravado act of taking over the responsibility of taking care of an orphaned baby elephant, Raghu.
The unshakeable bond that the trio thus forms, as the couple helps the baby to recover and survive, tugs at your heartstrings like no other.
Set against the stellar backdrop of the Mudumalai National Park, there’s also an underlying communication of the connection between the land and its inhabitants.
In a twist of fate, Guneet Monga’s acceptance speech was cut short as she received the award for The Elephant Whisperers. That did not curb her enthusiasm, as she took to her Instagram to express her sheer joy at winning.
Have a look:
Anuja (2025)
Another year, another nomination, with equal gusto.
Guneet Monga, along with her bandwagon of women producers Mindy Kaling, and Suchitra Mattai, and executive produced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, is on for the Oscar race this year for their short film Anuja.
Anuja has been nominated in the Best Live Action Short Category at the 97th Academy Awards.
Guneet Monga’s reaction upon the nomination announcement, was, “Incredibly honoured for this nomination at the 97th Oscars. It is a privilege to share the story of Anuja, representing the work of Salaam Baalak Trust India—the voice of countless youth who bravely face formidable circumstances every day. Even through unimaginable odds, they show us there is reason to smile. Director Adam J Graves and Producer Suchitra Mattai have poured their hearts into this.”
Further pressing on the fact that honest and true stories will traverse across borders, and find an audience globally. Creating and collaborating in all its earnestness.
Anuja is an American Hindi-language short film directed by Adam J. Grave. It narrates the story of a nine-year-old girl, and her sister Palak, and how their life turns topsy-turvy when faced with a life-altering opportunity. Not only is this a test of how rock-solid their bond is, but it also mirrors the perennial patterns of struggles that girls face worldwide.
Guneet Monga shared an Instagram post, upon her fourth nomination at the Oscars, and as fans predict and hope, shall be her third Academy win.
The post read, “Incredibly honoured for this nomination at the 97th Oscars. It is a privilege to share the story of Anuja, representing the work of Salaam Baalak Trust, Delhi.”
Have a look at the full post:
At the helm of it, Guneet Monga has been a fierce forerunner at the Oscars since 2019, with an undeterred passion to bring real and honest stories to the whole world, not curbed by boundaries or platforms.
As the 97th Academy Awards taps on our doorstep, India is cheering louder than ever for Guneet Monga, a force to reckon with, putting Indian cinema on the global map.
Also, and always, for the love of Indian cinema marching to the beats of her drum.
