First-time host Conan O’Brien kicked off the 2025 Academy Awards with a warm shoutout to India, surprising everyone by speaking Hindi during his monologue. He greeted the audience with a cheerful “Namaste” and even included a few Hindi phrases, adding a special touch to his opening remarks.
“For those of you watching from India, I would say Bharat k logo ko namaskar. Waha subha ho chuki hai to mujhe ummeed hai ki ap crispy nashte ke sath Oscars dekhenge’ (Greetings to India. It is morning there, so I hope you enjoy Oscars with breakfast)’, he said.
O’Brien then launched into a series of jokes about the Best Picture nominees, playfully teasing each film. He poked fun at Conclave, saying, “I’m a Catholic boy, loved Conclave. If you haven’t seen it, its logline is: a movie about the Catholic Church, but don’t worry.”
He also joked about director Sean Baker’s Anora, saying, “Anora used the F-word 497 times—that’s three more than the record set by Karla Sofia Gascón’s publicist.”
The camera then cut to the Best Actress nominee in the audience, whose awards season has been marked by controversy over past social media comments.
O’Brien kept the laughs coming throughout his monologue, taking a playful jab at Adam Sandler’s bright blue hoodie.
Sandler responded to the quip, saying, “I like the way I look because I’m a good person.”
(With agency input)
