Snigdha Kapoor, the director of the critically acclaimed short film "Holy Curse," is generating significant buzz as her film qualifies for Oscars consideration. "Holy Curse" has qualified for the Oscars in the Best Live Action Short Film category. The film is currently available for streaming on The New Yorker's official YouTube channel worldwide.

Kapoor expressed her excitement, stating, "Oscars is such a grand platform...". She noted that witnessing the film embraced at festivals and now entering the Oscars conversation is both thrilling and deeply humbling. "Holy Curse" stands out as the only South Asian film in The New Yorker's current lineup.

"Holy Curse" explores themes of gender identity, tradition, and self-discovery. The film centers around 11-year-old Radha, an immigrant in America, who is subjected to traditional rituals during a family visit to India in an attempt to cure an alleged ancestral curse. As Radha navigates puberty and grapples with their gender identity, they confront their family's deeply ingrained beliefs. The film offers commentary on unacknowledged forms of conversion therapy in India through the misuse of cultural practices.

Kapoor, who divides her time between the U.S. and India, is known for her work exploring gender, sexuality, and societal norms. She aimed to craft a coming-of-age story drawn from her childhood experiences, capturing the world through a child's eyes, especially when love and misunderstanding collide.

The film boasts a team of notable executive producers, including Lilly Singh, a global entertainer and gender equality advocate, and Kyle Kuhns of Unicorn Island. Additional executive producers include Anita Bhatia of Maharani Productions, Priya Giri Desai of Prism Entertainment, Shruti Ganguly, Megha Kadakia, Sharib Khan, Vikas Kumar of Khan and Kumar Media, and Reena Mehta and Anjana Gopakumar of South Stack Studios. The film is produced by Neeraj Churi, Noopur Sinha, Shweta Bolakani, and Snigdha Kapoor.

"Holy Curse" has been showcased at major film festivals, including Tasveer, IFFLA, Palm Springs ShortFest, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, and BFI London Film Festival. The film won Best Short Film at the 19th Tasveer Film Festival.

Kapoor's creative team includes Emmy-nominated cinematographer Juhi Sharma, Indian National Award-winning editor Anadi Athaley, colorist Mahak Gupta, and composer Alex Symcox.

Lilly Singh sees the film as a means to promote empathy and humanity, emphasizing that people can connect with emotions and the need to be seen and heard, regardless of cultural differences. Singh is proud to support a film that makes commentary through comedy and broadens the South Asian cultural lens in Hollywood, showcasing the diversity and talent of South Asian storytellers like Kapoor.