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Lilly Singh backs bold Indian short ‘Holy Curse’ as it storms toward Oscars with a fearless take on gender and faith

The Oscar-qualified film by Snigdha Kapoor tells the story of an 11-year-old trying to understand their gender while facing family beliefs, earning praise at festivals worldwide.

Holy Curse

Lilly Singh takes Indian short Holy Curse global backing its Oscar journey and fight for gender expression

Instagram/holycurse_film
Pooja Pillai
By Pooja PillaiOct 10, 2025
Pooja Pillai

Pooja Pillai is an entertainment journalist with Asian Media Group, where she covers cinema, pop culture, internet trends, and the politics of representation. Her work spans interviews, cultural features, and social commentary across digital platforms.

She began her reporting career as a news anchor, scripting and presenting stories for a regional newsroom. With a background in journalism and media studies, she has since built a body of work exploring how entertainment intersects with social and cultural shifts, particularly through a South Indian lens.

She brings both newsroom rigour and narrative curiosity to her work, and believes the best stories don’t just inform — they reveal what we didn’t know we needed to hear.

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Highlights:

  • Lilly Singh is now an executive producer on the project.
  • Holy Curse recently earned a spot in the running for the 98th Academy Awards.
  • The short film is about an 11-year-old who is uncertain about their sense of gender.
  • On the international front, it has already won a number of significant honours.
  • Snigdha Kapoor has a reputation for emphasizing marginalised voices.

Lilly Singh—yes, THE Lilly Singh is now on board as executive producer for Holy Curse, a short film that is basically setting the festival circuit on fire and has already scored its Oscar ticket for the 98th Academy Awards. It is not exactly your everyday indie flick moment.

Holy Curse Lilly Singh takes Indian short Holy Curse global backing its Oscar journey and fight for gender expression Instagram/holycurse_film


So what is Holy Curse all about?

Imagine this: 11-year-old Radha, in India, suddenly caught in the crosshairs of figuring out their own gender identity. Do they get support? Nope. The family is convinced this is some kind of generational curse and drags Radha through a parade of super-traditional rituals to “fix” things. Sure, it is heavy; there is no arguing there.

But the movie does not just wallow in misery. Out of nowhere, you will get these unexpected bursts of humour or those painfully real, awkward moments of affection. It is honestly kind of a wild trip, watching family expectations crash up against the urge to just be yourself.

- YouTube youtu.be


Why did Lilly Singh jump in?

Well, she has always had a thing for raising up voices that usually do not get a spotlight, right? This film screams that. She even said she is “incredibly proud” to back a story with this much guts and heart. It is way more than just a fancy title for her; she genuinely wants to put this story on the world stage.

Lilly Singh Lilly Singh joins Holy Curse a fearless Indian short confronting gender, faith and family stigmaGetty Images


And about that Oscar buzz?

Getting qualified is huge for a film like this. It is not a nomination (yet), but now it officially has a shot. Everything really kicked off after it bagged Best Short Film at the Tasveer Film Festival, and honestly, that was just the opening act. Throw in a Grand Jury Prize in LA and a Jury Prize in Chicago, and now this thing is riding a full-on tailwind. With Singh leading the charge, Holy Curse is gunning for the 2026 Oscars. It would not shock us one bit if it actually takes the crown.

executive producerholy curseoscarsshort filmlilly singh

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