Conan O’Brien jokes about Ted Sarandos, Timothée Chalamet and ‘frightening times’ in Oscars monologue

Host bobs and weaves through a number of third-rail topics in Academy Awards speech that’s at turns silly and sincere Oscars 2026 – follow the action live! The winners: the full list – updating live Conan O’Brien’s opening monologue at the 98th Academy Awards cheekily paid tribute to many nominated films – and then some – while acknowledging the tense US political situation and cracks at Timothée Chalamet, Amazon and US healthcare. After a snappily edited, old-school montage in which O’Brien, dressed as best supporting actress winner Amy Madigan ’s character in Weapons (“I look like Bette Davis with lupus,” he joked), stormed through each of the nominated films trailed by children à la Weapons, the second-time host bobbed and weaved through a number of pressing topics, from political divides to AI to Jeffrey Epstein. “I am Conan O’Brien, and I am honored to be the last human host of the Academy Awards,” he quipped. “Next year it’s going to be a Waymo in a tux.” Continue read...

Aamir Khan-produced Laapataa Ladies OUT from Oscars 2025 race

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the shortlist of 15 films for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2025 Oscars on Tuesday. While global favorites such as Emilia Perez and From Ground Zero secured spots, India’s official entry, Laapataa Ladies, was conspicuously absent. The exclusion of the Aamir Khan-produced Hindi film, directed by Kiran Rao, has reignited debates on India’s Oscars strategy.

Backlash Over Film Federation of India’s Selection The decision to send Laapataa Ladies as India’s official entry had sparked controversy earlier this year, with many arguing that Payal Kapadia’s Cannes-winning All We Imagine As Light was a stronger contender. Following the failure of Laapataa Ladies to make the shortlist, criticism of the Film Federation of India (FFI) has intensified.

One social media user expressed frustration, writing, "FFI snubbed AWIAL, destroying our chances to be on the list. The Film Federation of India requires a full revamp." Another added, "A shattering humiliation for India. If the only measure of success is to make choices that make you competitive, they have utterly failed."

Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies received critical acclaim for its portrayal of two brides interchanged in rural India during the 1990s. The cast featured newcomers Sparsh Srivastava, Pratibha Ranta, and Nitanshi Goel alongside seasoned actors Ravi Kishen and Chhaya Kadam.

On the other hand, All We Imagine As Light, an exploration of Mumbai’s working class, has consistently been a presence at international awards shows. It won the Grand Prize at Cannes and was nominated for the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards.

While Laapataa Ladies failed to advance, there was some good news for Indian cinema. Santosh, a UK-based Hindi film by Sandhya Suri, featuring Indian actors Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar, made it to the Oscars shortlist as the UK’s official entry.

Also Read: Laapataa Ladies actor Pratibha Ranta hopes for Oscars shortlist on her birthday: “It would be the biggest gift”



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