She was joined by Spanish actor Javier Bardem, who delivered a strong message for peace, saying “No to war,” to applause from the audience.

Chopra smiled alongside him before continuing the award presentation.

While introducing the nominees, Chopra highlighted the universal power of storytelling and cinema’s ability to connect cultures worldwide.

“Visceral and engrossing,” she said of the films, “they remind us that international is never truly far away.”

Director Joachim Trier later acknowledged the nominees, praising their work for reflecting the challenges of both the present and the past, and quoted James Baldwin on the shared responsibility adults have toward children.

The 98th Oscars were dominated by Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another.

Sinners led the night with 16 nominations, while One Battle After Another followed closely with 13.

Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his role in Sinners, while Jessie Buckley earned Best Actress for Hamnet.

The evening’s biggest triumph went to One Battle After Another, which took home Best Picture and a total of six awards.

In a historic moment, Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography for her work on Sinners, marking another standout achievement of the night.