Ranbir Kapoor's 'Ramayana' eyes Oscar glory, why India's 2027 awards race just got bigger

Highlights:

• Ramayana: Rise of a Legend has reportedly been submitted for consideration at the 99th Academy Awards.
• India's official International Feature Film submission is the Marathi film Gondhal.
• Naga-language film Angh secured an independent route after winning the 2026 TIFF Platform Award.
• Films can pursue the Academy's main categories independently of their country's official submission.
• Ramayana reportedly crossed $92.1 million in worldwide gross collections within six days.

India's Oscar race is getting more interesting, and Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana: Rise of a Legend could be another major contender. Nitesh Tiwari's mythological epic has reportedly been submitted for consideration at the 99th Academy Awards, even as Marathi film Gondhal prepares to represent India in the International Feature Film category.

The development raises an interesting possibility: India could have multiple films seeking recognition at the Oscars through different routes, rather than relying on just one official selection.

According to NDTV, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi, has been submitted for consideration. Its reported entry does not conflict with India's official Oscar selection because the Academy has separate eligibility requirements for the main categories and the International Feature Film category.

Why can Ramayana compete despite Gondhal being India's official entry?

The Academy Awards do not restrict a country to just one film across all categories. While each country can select only one official submission for the International Feature Film category, other productions can independently qualify for consideration in the Academy's main categories.

To become eligible for the general categories, a film must meet the Academy's theatrical release requirements. These include a commercial screening lasting at least seven consecutive days in an eligible US metropolitan area, such as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth or Atlanta.

Filmmakers or distributors must also submit the required entry forms and production details to the Academy.

This means Ramayana can pursue consideration in categories such as Best Picture and other relevant awards if it meets the applicable requirements. However, a reported submission does not mean the film has secured an Oscar nomination. It must still go through the Academy's eligibility and voting process.

Gondhal and Angh add to India's Oscar story

India's official selection for the International Feature Film category is the Marathi film Gondhal. It will compete through the country's traditional nomination route.

However, another Indian production, the Naga-language film Angh, has also secured an independent route into the category after winning the Platform Award at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.

The Academy's rules allow certain international films that win qualifying awards at selected film festivals to become eligible independently of their country's official selection.

Therefore, Gondhal and Angh can both pursue consideration in the International Feature Film category, despite representing different qualification routes.

Ramayana's box office success adds to the buzz

The reported Oscar submission comes as Ramayana: Rise of a Legend continues its strong theatrical run. The film crossed the Rs 800 crore mark in worldwide gross collections within six days of its release.

According to Sacnilk, the film collected Rs 94.10 crore net in India on Tuesday, November 10. Its domestic gross reached Rs 526.50 crore, while overseas earnings took its worldwide gross to Rs 823.50 crore.

Ranbir Kapoor plays the lead role in the mythological epic, with Yash and Sai Pallavi also starring in the film.

The Oscar development gives the film another major talking point beyond its commercial performance. While its reported submission has put it in the conversation around the 99th Academy Awards, its actual eligibility, category placement and eventual chances will depend on the Academy's rules and selection process.

For Indian cinema, the possibility of multiple productions pursuing Oscar recognition through different routes makes this year's awards race particularly interesting.