Geeta Gandbhir misses out on Oscar wins, but scripts history with dual nominations

Indian cinema has had many milestones at the Academy Awards. From Bhanu Athaiya winning the Oscar for costume design for 'Gandhi' in 1983, to Satyajit Ray receiving an honorary Academy Award for his contribution(1992), Indian movies has left an indelible mark on Hollywood's biggest stage. Later, 'Slumdog Millionaire' swept eight Oscars in 2009, in categories for music, lyrics and sound mixing. More recently, Guneet Monga’s ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short in 2023. And who can forget M. M. Keeravani’s foot-tapping number ‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘RRR’, which even had the announcers dancing at the ceremony?. This year, filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir, though lost both the titles Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short to ‘Mr Nobody Against Putin’ and ‘All the Empty Rooms’, her double nomination is a rare achievement. She is the first American Indian filmmaker to be nominated for directing two documentary films in the same year. Geeta Gandbhir is an Indian origin American filmmaker widely known for her work as a director, producer, and editor. She was the editor of the documentary film 'If ‘God Is Willing and Creek Don't Rise', which talks about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The movie earned her a Peabody Award in 2010. Also, her short film on the series ‘Through Our Eyes: Apart’ won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Documentary in 2022. More recently, she directed and produced ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ that focused on the Killing of Ajike Owens. The movie had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and also won the Directing Award. In addition, she co-directed ‘The Devil is Busy’ along with Christalyn Hampton, which throws light on the challenges faced by a nurse at an abortion clinic in Atlanta besieged by protesters.Earlier this year, Gandbhir told The Hollywood Reporter India, "I think for a lot of us who work in this field, particularly in documentary or in making films that have an underlying message, the opportunity that the Oscars afford us is one to really elevate the issues. So for us, that’s huge."The filmmaker also states that the limelight brought to her work matters more than the win. "It’s incredible when attention is brought to the film, but also to the film’s focus on specific societal problems. It’s amazing to have that spotlight," she added.Geeta Gandbhir’s feature film shows the challenges faced by Tracii, the head of security at an abortion clinic in Atlanta. As new legal restrictions and constant protests emerge owing to political unrest, Tracii finds it difficult to carry out her job. Despite the hindrances, Tracii protects patients seeking abortions and even conducts routine checkups. The documentary also shows the daily safety measures taken by Tracii and the staff. Some of which are coordinating with security guards to escort patients, and using numbered systems to keep identities private. Tracii also pacifies nervous patients while negotiating with protestors outside.The movie revolves around the shooting of Ajike Owens by her white neighbor, Susan Louise, in Florida. The film is told with limited narration, using extensive police footage such as bodycams, and follows both the killing, the incident itself, and its aftermath. Along with shedding light on the killing, the film also questions the systemic bias in Florida’s self-defense laws. Moreover, it also highlights the problem of racial discrimination in the state of Florida. Ever since its release in Oct, 2025, the movie has been streaming on Netflix and reached a whopping number of 16.7 million views within just three days of its release.‘The Devil is Busy’ is available on Jio Hotstar, whereas ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ is available on Netflix.