List of Indian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
India has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film since 1957, a year after the incorporation of the category. The award is given annually by the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue. The "Best Foreign Language Film" category was not created until 1956; however, between 1947 and 1955, the Academy presented a non-competitive Honorary Award for the best foreign language films released in the United States.
The Film Federation of India appoints a committee to choose one film among those released that year to be submitted as India's official entry to the Academy for a nomination for "Best Foreign Language Film" the following year. The chosen films, along with their English subtitles, are sent to the Academy, where they are screened for the jury. The 1957 Hindi film Mother India was India's first submission. The film made it to the final shortlist and was nominated alongside four other films in the category. It came close to winning the Academy Award but lost to Nights of Cabiria by a single vote. Since 1984, India has not submitted a film on only one occasion; in 2003, the FFI controversially chose not make an entry as they felt no film would be in a position to compete with films from other nations., only three Indian films—Mother India, Salaam Bombay! and Lagaan —have been nominated for the award. In 2011, the jury of the 58th National Film Awards made a recommendation that the Best Film winners at the annual National Film Awards be chosen as the official entry. However, except for the 88th Academy Awards, none of the Best Film winning film was submitted by India over the years.
Submissions
India has sent more than fifty films to the competition. Most of India's submissions were Hindi films, three of which received nominations. Tamil films were submitted by the committee on nine occasions. Three submissions were Marathi films, two were Bengali films, two Malayalam films, one Telugu film, one Gujarati film, one Konkani film and one Assamese film.Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray has represented India three times in this competition, the most by any director. Tamil actor Kamal Haasan has most often represented the country as a performer, with seven films submitted—including three consecutive films between 1985 and 1987, one of which he directed himself. Aamir Khan has represented India four times as an actor, including once as a director and thrice as a producer; Lagaan, which he produced and starred in, received a nomination.
| Year | Film title used in nomination | Original title | Language | Director | Result |
| 1957 | Mother India | Mother India | Hindustani | ||
| 1958 | Madhumati | Madhumati | Hindustani | ||
| 1959 | ' | Apur sansar | Bengali | ||
| 1962 | Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam | Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam | Hindustani | ||
| 1963 | Metropolis | Mahanagar | Bengali | ||
| 1965 | ' | Guide | Hindi | ||
| 1966 | Amrapali | Amrapali | Hindi | ||
| 1967 | ' | Aakhri Khat | Hindi | ||
| 1968 | Elder Sister | Majhli Didi | Hindi | ||
| 1969 | Deiva Magan | Deiva Magan | Tamil | ||
| 1971 | Reshma Aur Shera | Reshma Aur Shera | Hindi | ||
| 1972 | Uphaar | Uphaar | Hindi | ||
| 1973 | Saudagar | Saudagar | Hindi | ||
| 1974 | Hot Winds | Garam Hawa | Urdu | ||
| 1977 | Manthan | Manthan | Hindi | ||
| 1978 | ' | Shatranj Ke Khilari | Hindustani | ||
| 1980 | Payal Ki Jhankaar | Payal Ki Jhankaar | Hindi | ||
| 1984 | Saaransh | Saaransh | Hindi | ||
| 1985 | Saagar | Saagar | Hindi | ||
| 1986 | Swati Mutyam | Swati Mutyam | Telugu | ||
| 1987 | Nayakan | Nayakan | Tamil | ||
| 1988 | Salaam Bombay! | Salaam Bombay! | Hindi | ||
| 1989 | Parinda | Parinda | Hindi | ||
| 1990 | Anjali | Anjali | Tamil | ||
| 1991 | Henna | Henna | Hindustani | ||
| 1992 | Thevar Magan | Thevar Magan | Tamil | ||
| 1993 | Rudaali | Rudaali | Hindi | ||
| 1994 | Bandit Queen | Bandit Queen | Hindi | ||
| 1995 | Kuruthipunal | Kuruthipunal | Tamil | ||
| 1996 | Indian | Indian | Tamil | ||
| 1997 | Guru | Guru | Malayalam | ||
| 1998 | Jeans | Jeans | Tamil | ||
| 1999 | Earth | 1947: Earth | Hindi | ||
| 2000 | Hey Ram | Hey Ram | Tamil Hindi | ||
| 2001 | Lagaan | Lagaan | Hindi | ||
| 2002 | Devdas | Devdas | Hindi | ||
| 2004 | ' | Shwaas | Marathi | ||
| 2005 | Riddle | Paheli | Hindi | ||
| 2006 | Rang De Basanti | Rang De Basanti | Hindi | ||
| 2007 | ' | Eklavya: The Royal Guard | Hindi | ||
| 2008 | Like Stars on Earth | Taare Zameen Par | Hindi | ||
| 2009 | Harishchandra's Factory | Harishchandrachi Factory | Marathi | ||
| 2010 | Peepli Live | Peepli Live | Hindi | ||
| 2011 | Abu, Son of Adam | Adaminte Makan Abu | Malayalam | ||
| 2012 | Barfi! | Barfi! | Hindi | ||
| 2013 | The Good Road | The Good Road | Gujarati | Gyan Correa | |
| 2014 | Liar's Dice | Liar's Dice | Hindi | ||
| 2015 | Court | Court | Marathi | ||
| 2016 | Visaranai | Visaranai | Tamil | Vetrimaaran | |
| 2017 | Newton | Newton | Hindi | Amit V Masurkar | |
| 2018 | Village Rockstars | Village Rockstars | Assamese | Rima Das | |
| 2019 | Gully Boy | Gully Boy | Hindi | Zoya Akhtar |