Vinod Kapri submits Pyre independently for 99th Oscars, says film deserves to compete on its own merit

Vinod Kapri has submitted his independent film Pyre through the independent route for consideration in the General Entry categories of the 99th Academy Awards.

National Award-winning filmmaker Vinod Kapri has submitted his independent film Pyre for consideration in the General Entry categories of the 99th Academy Awards through the independent route. In a recent interaction, the director confirmed the development and also revealed why he decided to submit his film independently.

Vinod Kapri's Pyre aims for an Oscar.

'Never imagined the film would touch so many hearts'

Speaking to India Today, Vinod admitted that he had never expected the film to touch so many hearts around the world. He said, "We made Pyre independently, with complete faith in the story and the people who brought it to life. We never imagined that two ordinary people from a small Himalayan village would touch so many hearts across the world. The film has travelled to international festivals, won awards and, most importantly, found its audience."

'Independent cinema deserves the opportunity to compete on its own merits'

Sharing the reason behind submitting his film through the independent route, he said, "We believe independent cinema deserves the opportunity to compete on its own merits. Our decision to pursue the Academy Awards through the applicable independent submission route is an extension of that belief. This is not just a journey for our film; it is also a journey for the many independent filmmakers who continue to tell stories against all odds."

India's official entry to Oscars

Filmmaker Santosh Davakhar's Marathi thriller Gondhal has been selected as India's official entry in the Best International Feature Film category for the 99th Academy Awards. Meanwhile, the Nagaland film Angh, which won the coveted Platform Prize at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, also qualified for the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards. This was made possible by a new Academy rule that gives certain top honours at international film festivals a direct pathway to Oscar qualification.

About Pyre

Pyre stars 80-year-old Padam Singh Kapri, a retired Indian Army serviceman, and 70-year-old Heera Devi, both of whom are making their acting debuts. Padam plays a character named after himself, while Heera portrays Tulsi. The film revolves around an elderly couple living in the hills who wait for their children to return after they leave the village in search of better opportunities.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Vinod spoke about the challenges of bringing his film to theatres. He also recalled announcing his retirement after receiving an award at the Toronto International Film Festival. However, he admitted that the positive response from audiences restored his faith in filmmaking.

He said, “I was so so depressed and so mentally, physically, financially exhausted that I announced my retirement from that stage after receiving the award from Deepa Meta. I said I'm done with filmmaking. I'm not going to make any film after this because I'm completely drained out after making this film.”