The beautiful Carondelet House gleamed with South Asian excellence as they took center stage with prestigious Oscar nominees who were honored in a night filled with inspiring speeches, music and celebration.
From Mindy Kaling to Aasif Mandvi, the evening brought together a star-studded guest list, uniting industry leaders and creatives to recognize the achievements of South Asian talent, both on and off the screen.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 26: (L-R) Mindy Kaling, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Naomi Campbell attend the “South Asians at the Oscars” Pre-Oscars Party at Carondelet House on February 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for A-Game Public Relations)
This year’s South Asian Oscar nominees in attendance included Adam Graves (Anuja), David Taghioff (Emilia Perez, I’m Still Here), Guneet Monga (Anuja), Smriti Mundhra (I Am Ready, Warden) and Suchitra Mattai (Anuja).
Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for A-Game Public Relations
Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for A-Game Public Relations
The evening kicked off with refreshing poppi beverages and bite-sized hors d’oeuvres, while guests enjoyed photo ops before an inspiring lineup of co-hosts took the stage.
Throughout the night, both nominees and industry friends delivered heartfelt speeches, reflecting on the significance of the ongoing journey toward greater representation in the South Asian diaspora.
“This is a beautiful event, and I feel incredibly honored to be here,” Mindy Kaling began her speech, before highlighting her admiration for Anuja, her favorite film of the year. She then introduced director and writer Adam Graves and producer Suchitra Mattai—a powerhouse couple who are both nominated for the film.
Graves took to the stage, sharing Anuja’s making and journey. “We didn’t know if anybody would see it and to have it embraced so warmly by this community here it just means the world to us. We’re humbled by the attention it’s received and really proud of the people we collaborated with and then what we were able to put together. Thank you so much for watching the film on Netflix.”
Standing in front of one of her own hand-drawn art pieces, Mattai echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of amplifying underrepresented voices. “We need to share the stories and voices of people who haven’t been heard before,” she said, reinforcing the film’s mission of providing a platform for those who often go unheard.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 26: (L-R) Adam Graves and Suchitra Mattai speak during the “South Asians at the Oscars” Pre-Oscars Party at Carondelet House on February 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for A-Game Public Relations)
The night continued with speeches from other esteemed guests, including Star Wars: New Jedi Order director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and The Monk and the Gun producer, director, and writer Pawo Choyning Dorji, both of whom recognized the honorees and the immense talent in the room.
Closing out the evening, musical performances by Liz Lokre and Tushar Apte set the stage, with special guest Anjulie adding to the night’s celebration of South Asian excellence.
As we head into Oscar weekend, events like these remind us of the significance of representation—highlighting the voices, stories, and achievements of South Asian creatives on a global stage.
Notable Guests
The event welcomed an array of distinguished attendees, including:
Lilly Singh, Kunal Nayyar, Poorna Jagannathan, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Jay Shetty, Manish Dayal, Pooja Kumar, Karen David, Banita Sandhu, Charithra Chandran, SUKKI, Meena Harris, Deepica Mutyala, Payal Kadakia, and Radhi Devlukia-Shetty, among others.
Event Sponsors
This celebration was made possible by the generous support of:
TAAF (The Asian American Foundation), Pop Culture Collaborative, Variety, WME, Brown Girl Magazine, Pernod Ricard, Picture North, Poppi, Honto88, Exquisite Events (@xquisiteevents), and A-Game Public Relations.
Photo Courtesy: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for A-Game Public Relations
