Touching Oscar-nominated short Anuja debuts on Netflix

By Randall Yip, Executive Editor

How many of the Oscar-nominated films have you seen?

If you are a subscriber to Netflix, make sure you see the Oscar-nominated coming of age short Anuja.

It’s written and directed by Adam Graves and produced by his wife, Suchitra Mattai, along with actress/producer Mindy Kaling and two-time Academy Award Winner Guneet Monga Kapoor (The Elephant Whisperers & Period. End of Sentence).

Anuja starring Sajda Pathan centers around a young prodigy from an orphanage in India working as a child laborer alongside her older sister, Palak (Ananya Shanbhag). In Anuja, Palak sees great potential and an opportunity for the young sibling to work her way out of poverty.

Unfortunately, there’s something holding Palak back. The relationship between the siblings provides the warmth in the film while the forces preventing Palak from elevating her family create the tension.

The story hits home for Mattai whose ancestors are from India

“My family, we have a legacy of indentured servitude And so a lot of my work deals with telling stories just that haven’t been told. This seemed like a sort of natural and organic exploration for sure,” Mattai told AsAmNews during a virtual interview from Britain.

Graves explained that the British brought his wife’s ancestors to Guyana as indentured servants.

“Labor issues have always been kind of something where we take seriously and are interested,” he said with his wife by his side.

Pathan herself is the product of an orphanage founded by Academy Award nominated director, Mira Nair. Because of its connection to Nair, Salaam Balaak Trust has offered acting classes. Pathan caught the attention of filmmakers, and she accepted a bit part in a French film. Graves casted her while she was still in production with that film.

When he received the audition tape that so many had told him about, he could hardly believe it.

“It blew us away. Completely mind-boggling just how good she is,” he said.

Graves and Mattai both giggled when we discussion turned to the Academy Awards. It will be a first for the both of them.

“We watch every year, and we just enjoy watching the ceremony and all of that. But I can’t say we ever envisioned ourselves being part of it. So yeah, no, we just feel lucky,” Graves said.

The two have yet to decide what they will wear on the red carpet, but the two already know who’s going to make the decisions.

“I’ve dressed him since we met,” said Mattai.

“I don’t even pick out my own underwear,” agreed Graves.

Anuja is streaming on Netflix beginning today, February 5th.