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Oscars 2025, taking home five awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Mikey Madison. Director Sean Baker made history by winning four awards for a single film, cementing Anora as the night’s most celebrated movie. The film's success came after Sean Baker won four awards for original screenplay, film editing, directing and best picture, and Mikey Madison unexpectedly won Best Actress. Samantha Quan, the producer, emphasized the film's independent beginnings and the enthusiasm that went into making it. ALSO READ: Adam Sandler steals the show at the 2025 Oscars with his ultra-casual and hilarious outfit

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) enforces a rigid framework that determines which movies make the cut for the coveted nominations. As the 97th Academy Awards approach, the stringent guidelines continue to spark heated debates, especially with the rise of streaming platforms.

Unlike last year’s dominant sweep by Oppenheimer, this year’s competition is wide open, with frontrunners shifting throughout the awards season. With several categories too close to call, let’s analyze the Oscars 2025 predictions, the Academy Awards 2025 likely winners, and which films and performances truly deserve the golden statuette.

Oscar 2025: How to watch in IndiaE! Countdown to the Red Carpet: 12:30 AM IST (E!)On the Red Carpet at the Oscars: 2:00 AM IST (ABC)Live From the Oscars: 2:30 AM IST (KTLA)E! Live From the Red Carpet: 2:30 AM IST (E!)The Oscars 2025 will be broadcast live on JioHotstar / Star Movies at 5:30 AM IST on March 3.This year’s event wraps up a highly unpredictable awards season, with no dominant frontrunner. Several first-time winners are expected, adding to the excitement surrounding the night.Oscars 2025 nominations: From Wicked, Dune: Part 2, to Adrien Brody, Timothée Chalamet - Check complete listWho are the Oscar favorites?Netflix’s Emilia Pérez leads with 13 nominations but faces controversy due to backlash over offensive past tweets by its star, Karla Sofía Gascón.

The repeated failure of small- and big-ticket films has skewed the market in favour of a few deep-pocketed streamers such as Netflix, Prime Video and JioHotStar (see chart). Three years ago, the industry was in a sellers' market, where producers and filmmakers had plenty of options to secure funding. With at least 10 mainstream streamers and a strong presence of production houses and studios actively creating and acquiring content, there was healthy competition, giving content creators more bargaining power.

On Sunday, Netflix took to social media to unveil the much-anticipated OTT release date. Sharing a promotional poster featuring the lead pair, Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi, the streaming giant made the announcement with a caption that read: «A journey across borders, a story beyond limits. Watch Thandel, out 7 March on Netflix in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada & Malayalam!» The news sparked enthusiasm among fans, who expressed their excitement in the comments section, eager to relive the film’s emotional and gripping narrative.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's criticism of the Kannada film industry, especially actors, over their low turnout at the inauguration of the 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival has sparked sharp reactions from opposition parties. Addressing the gathering on Saturday, he also lashed out at the film industry for not supporting him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah when they were in the opposition, particularly in their campaign for the Mekedatu project, which aimed to provide drinking water to Bengaluru and surrounding areas. «At today's event, only ten of you among the prominent faces are present. This is not Siddaramaiah's (CM) or D K Shivakumar's private event, nor is it a family function of actors Sadhu Kokila and Kishore. This is an industry event. If actors, directors, and producers don't attend, who else will?» Shivakumar, who claimed himself as a film exhibitor, asked. Referring to actor Shivarajkumar's earlier speech, he said, «Shivarajkumar mentioned that the film festival is like a family festival for the industry. But if this sentiment is not shared by other actors, producers, and directors, then what is the point of hosting an international film festival?»

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has said that Indians must work hard to reach the ambitious goal of making India a USD 30 trillion economy by 2047. Speaking on the ongoing debate about work hours, he pointed out that countries like Japan, South Korea, and China achieved economic success through a strong work ethic. He suggested that India must adopt a similar mindset to build a world-class economy. “I strongly believe in hard work. Indians must work hard, whether it’s 80 hours or 90 hours a week. If your ambition is to move from a USD 4 trillion to a USD 30 trillion economy, you can’t do it through entertainment or by following the views of some film stars,” Kant said at Business Standard’s Manthan summit. Currently, India’s economy stands at around USD 4 trillion. Kant also said that India must focus on delivering projects ahead of time, maintaining world-class standards, and avoiding time and cost overruns.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. I was running late and the film had started. I entered the hall and unable to locate my friends in the dark, sat down in the first seat I could find.

Film enthusiasts from all around the world look forward to this esteemed occasion, which is a significant celebration of Hollywood's accomplishments, to honour the incredible artistic creations. ABC and Hulu will broadcast the Oscars 2025, which will feature the top films, performances, and filmmakers of the year.

Oscar?

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday announced that the state Government will establish a world-class film city in Mysuru with 150 acres of land already allotted for the project. Speaking at the inauguration of the 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFES) at the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha, he emphasised that international film festivals are a reflection of global culture and should be leveraged to create meaningful and impactful cinema. «Karnataka is a land of immense opportunities. To further strengthen our film industry, we are developing a state-of-the-art film city in Mysuru. I hope this facility will encourage the production of world-class films that seamlessly blend human values with advanced technology,» he said. Highlighting the growing disparities in wealth, Siddaramaiah pointed out that 50 per cent of the nation's wealth is concentrated in the hands of just one per cent of the population, leading to widespread social unrest and dissatisfaction.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Sean Baker’s Anora explodes onto the screen like a firecracker in a midnight alleyway—it’s a restless, breathless ride, a film straddling so many genres and refusing to be tamed. Baker slams together unlikely romance, riotous comedy, and a relentless Uncut Gems–esque nocturnal adventure, eventually taking us to heart-wrenching drama.

Bipasha Basu has been on the big screen. Singer Mika Singh, who financed her last project, Bhushan Patel’s web series ‘Dangerous’, lashed out at the actress and her husband Karan Singh Grover for unprofessional behaviour. In an interview with Pinkvilla, Singh claimed that he had initially intended to make a horror movie on a shoestring budget with the ‘Dil Mil Gaye’ actor. However, Bipasha’s interference inflated the budget from Rs 4 to Rs 14 crore. “See, I liked Karan a lot, and I wanted to back a film that would push my music to the forefront. I just wanted to make a low-budget film, around Rs 4 crore.We roped in director Bhushan Patel, who had previously helmed Alone, which featured Bipasha in a double role.”

But there’s still a lot of time till Sunday. If you are someone who’s already seen all the Oscar nominated films or maybe just wants something light and funny to watch, there’s still a lot out there for you. This weekend, take a look at these movies and series that should be on your must-watch list.

Shrek 5 as the daughter of the iconic ogre couple, Shrek and Fiona. This exciting addition brings fresh energy to the beloved animated franchise, which is set to return to the big screen after more than a decade. With a confirmed release date of December 23, 2026, Shrek 5 is already shaping up to be a major animated event.

Hackman routinely showed up on Hollywood lists of greatest American actors of the 20th century. He could play virtually any kind of role, from comic book villain Lex Luthor in «Superman» to a coach finding redemption in the sentimental favourite «Hoosiers». Hackman was a five-time Oscar nominee who won best actor in a leading role for «The French Connection» in 1972 and best actor in a supporting role for «Unforgiven» two decades later. His death comes just four days before this year's ceremony.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. To turn the camera on yourself to tell the story is an act of defiance—the storyteller is the story, both birther and birthed. It is also indulgent, and its indulgence is often forgiven.

Uttam Mohanty died on Thursday night while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Delhi, his family said. He was 66.

Captain America: Brave New World.