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Shivani Mehra’s Me, Raani qualifies for the Best Live Action Short Film category at the Oscars 2025
The screenplay was inspired by an incident that had occurred in a remote village in India that went viral after Anand Mahindra posted about it.
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4 weeks agoon
ME, RAANI a story inspired by business tycoon Anand Mahindra marked Shivani Mehra’s directorial debut where she was awarded the grand jury prize at the Best of India Short Film Festival 2024 which led to a theatrical release in San Francisco to qualify it for the Best Live Action Short Film category.
The screenplay was inspired by an incident that had occurred in a remote village in India that went viral after Anand Mahindra posted about it on the X platform. Stumbling upon his tweet, Shivani said that a positive story like this was very much needed in the world, hence ME, RAANI was born.
Speaking about ME, RAANI getting qualified for the 97th Academy Awards, Shivani Mehra said, “When I received an email confirmation, I couldn’t believe that we had made it this far. The story that was once a little fragment in my head somewhere was now part of something so big”.
Shivani is no stranger when it comes to Oscar qualifying projects. Her writing debut short story Highway Nights directed by Shubham Singh and starring renowned director / actor Prakash Jha was an Oscar qualifier in 2022.
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Producer, Sachin Srivastava said, “From a dream to the Oscars – this journey is a testament to the power of stories, passion and perseverance. Here’s to everyone who believed in the magic we created, and to the endless possibilities that lie ahead.”
The story is about a young girl’s quest to make her mother’s wishes come true but in her own way. Former Beauty Queen Priyanka Zemse, a Latin/Bollywood dancer who is known for her notable works in TV series Asur 2, Dahan, Cartel, Bang Bang, Kundali Bhagya, Molki, Bheeti Lage Jeva, and movies like Amhi Befikre plays the lead role of the mother, Anju, a single mother working as a maid to make ends meet, and stars alongside the rising young talent Bhavika Parde who plays the role of the daughter, Raani, a free spirited dreamer.
The film has been winning praises and accolades at various film festivals, which included Shivani winning the top prize in the Women’s Collective category at the Oscar qualifying Bengalaru International Short Film Festival. The 97th Academy Awards will take place in March 2025.
