Meet Sajda Pathan, Oscar-nominated film Anuja’s 9-year-old star, child labourer who was rescued from the streets | Bollywood

On Thursday, as the nominations for the 2025 Oscars were announced, All We Imagine As Light missed out, as did Santosh, Sandhya Suri’s film that was UK’s official entry for the Academy Awards. However, there still was some cheer for India as Anuja, a short film set in Delhi, was nominated for the Best Live Action Short Film. Backed by names like Priyanka Chopra, Mindy Kaling, and Guneet Monga, Anuja has been generating a lot of buzz as the race to the Oscars heats up. And a lot of focus is on the 9-year-old headlining the film. (Also read: Priyanka Chopra, Guneet Monga ‘honoured’ by Anuja’s Oscar 2025 nomination: ‘A privilege to share this story’)

What is Anuja about?

Directed by Adam J Graves and Suchitra Mattai, Anuja follows a gifted 9-year-old Anuja, who must choose between education and factory work with her sister – a decision that will shape their futures. The film stars Sajda Pathan in the titular role and Ananya Shanbhag as her sister. Set in New Delhi, the film has two-time Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga and actor Priyanka Chopra on board as executive producers and Hollywood actor Mindy Kaling as producer.

Who is Sajda Pathan, Anuja’s young star

Sajda Pathan, the film’s star, has a pretty cinematic story of her own. Anuja is her second film. The girl, who rose from the slums and was rescued from the streets by an NGO, has previously worked in The Braid (La Tresse), a French film directed by Laetitia Colombani, where she shared screen space with Mia Maelzer.

Sajda was a child labourer in Delhi. The Salaam Baalak Trust rescued her, and she currently resides at the NGO’s SBT Day Care Center. Salaam Baalak Trust was set up in 1988 from the proceeds of Mira Nair’s Oscar-nominated film Salaam Bombay. The trust has co-produced Anuja in collaboration with Shine Global and Krushan Naik Films.

The 2025 Academy Awards will be held on March 2 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Anuja is pitted against A Lien, I’m Not a Robot, The Last Ranger, and The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent in the Best Live Action Short category. Anuja is set to stream on Netflix this year.