FFI Opens Entries for 99th Oscars as Tamil Films Dorothy and Kaantha Enter Contention

The race for India’s official entry to the 99th Academy Awards is officially underway, with the Film Federation of India accepting applications until September 7 ahead of its selection announcement on September 19. Eligible productions must be theatrically released in India between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026, with unreleased films permitted to apply if their producers guarantee a mandatory seven-day commercial run prior to the September 30 cutoff.

Among the Tamil-language contenders is Karthik Subbaraj’s Dorothy, which is scheduled to premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival before opening in Indian theatres on September 25. The film, which marks Subbaraj’s 10th feature as director, stars Keerthy Suresh, Sananth, and Rishikanth. Produced by Jio Studios and Sikhya Entertainment alongside Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain, the project features an original score by composer Ilaiyaraaja, marking his 1,540th film composition.

Another Tamil film in the mix is Kaantha, directed by Selvamani Selvaraj and set in 1950s Madras. The period drama, which explores the dynamic between a filmmaker and an actor, recently secured awards attention when lead actor Dulquer Salmaan won Best Actor at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.

The selection committee will also consider several prominent films from other Indian film industries. Rishab Shetty’s Kannada-language epic Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1, released in October 2025 by Hombale Films, stands as a prominent contender following a Best Director win for Shetty at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Director Rima Das is represented by two festival titles: Village Rockstars 2, which won the Kim Jiseok Award at the 2025 Busan International Film Festival, and Not a Hero, which earned a Crystal Bear Special Mention at the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival.

Other productions under consideration include Anuparna Roy’s Mumbai-based drama Lovers in the Blue Night, premiering in the Orizzonti section of the 2026 Venice Film Festival, and Tribeny Rai’s Sikkim-set independent feature Shape of Momo. Additional titles in the field include Chidambaram’s Malayalam drama Balan: The Boy, Sriram Raghavan’s war film Ikkis, and Suparn Varma’s Haq.