Anuja, crafted by husband and wife team, Adam J. Graves (director) and Suchitra Mattai (producer), tells a stirring tale of two sisters struggling to find joy and opportunity in a world intent on their exploitation and exclusion. This powerful short follows Anuja, a precocious nine-year-old orphan who works in a back-alley garment factory alongside her older sister Palak, when she is suddenly faced with a rare opportunity that will determine the fate of her future and family. Anuja won the OSCAR-qualifying live action short award at the 2024 HollyShorts Film Festival and has been shortlisted for the 2025 Oscars. Priyanka Chopra Jonas is welcomed onto the team in her pivotal role as Executive Producer.
When Anuja, a precocious nine-year-old orphan, quits school to work alongside her sister at a local garment factory, she finds herself faced with a choice that will determine the fate of her future and her family.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas is a multi-hyphenate talent and New York Times bestselling author who has captivated global audiences for nearly 25 years. Her diverse body of work has earned her numerous awards as both an actor and producer. She will soon star in Prime Video’s anticipated feature Heads of State, alongside Idris Elba and John Cena, along with The Bluff, and season two of Prime Video’s hit series “Citadel”. Chopra Jonas also Executive Produced Oscar Nominated and award-winning feature documentary “To Kill A Tiger,” and she starred in and Executive Produced Netflix’s Oscar-nominated film ‘The White Tiger.’
Priyanka Chopra Jonas shares “This beautiful film shines a spotlight on a subject that affects millions of children around the world, who are faced with the impossible decision between a future they cannot yet see and the immediate realities of their present. Anjua is a poignant, thought-provoking piece that makes us reflect deeply on the power of choices and how they shape the course of our lives. I am immensely proud to be associated with such a phenomenal and impactful project.”
Anuja was produced in partnership with the Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT), a nonprofit that supports street and working children, SHINE GLOBAL, the production company behind Emmy and Academy Award-winning films such as War/Dance (2007) and Inocente (2012), and Krushan Naik Films. Adding authenticity to the narrative, lead actress Sajda Pathan draws from her own experiences of surviving on the streets of old Delhi, along with her sister, before recently finding a home with the Salaam Baalak Trust.
Adam J. Graves (Writer/Director) wrote, directed and produced the award winning short film Cycle Verite (2021) and produced and edited the documentary short The Other Side of the Sun (2024). He is married to the acclaimed visual artist Suchitra Mattai (producer of Anuja).
Suchitra Mattai (Producer) is a multi-disciplinary artist of South Asian descent, whose work celebrates the power of women, reimagines historical narratives, and explores her family’s history of indentured labor.
Guneet Monga Kapoor is an Indian film producer, an Academy Award winner, and BAFTA nominee, and amongst the first producers from India to be invited to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Most recently, Guneet became the first producer in India to win an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short, for the Indian produced ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ (2023).
Mindy Kaling is best known for her starring role in the U.S. version of “The Office”, as well as her own show, “The Mindy Project”, and producing hits such as “Never Have I Ever” for Netflix and “The Sex Lives of College Girls” for HBO Max.
Anuja had its World Premiere at deadCenter Film Festival and won BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT at the HollyShorts Film Festival. The film has been shortlisted for the 2025 Oscars.
