The Film Federation of India declared on Sep 23 that Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies has been selected as India's official Oscars 2025 entry for 'Best Foreign Film' category.
The Bollywood hit movie Animal, the Malayalam National Award winner Aattam, and the Cannes winner All We Imagine As Light were among the 29 films that went into the selection process.
Under the guidance of Assamese filmmaker Jahnu Barua, a 13-member select committee overwhelmingly selected Laapataa Ladies, which was co-produced by Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao, to compete in the Academy Awards' best international film category.
The list also included the Telugu films Hanu-Man and Kalki 2898 AD, the Tamil movie Maharaja, the Hindi movies Article 370, and Swatantraya Veer Savarkar.
Aamir Khan, the film's co-producer, shared his excitement and extended his gratitude to Kiran Rao, the entire team, Netflix, and the selection committee.
"We are all so happy with the news. I am so proud of Kiran and her entire team. I would like to thank the selection committee of the Film Federation of India, which chose our film to represent India at the Oscars," Aamir said.
Meanwhile, Kiran Rao, the director of the film, on Sep 20 said that the Film Federation of India (FFI) will pick the best film.
“My dream would be fulfilled if it was, is if it would go (to Oscars). But it's a process, and I'm hoping it'll (Laapataa Ladies) be considered. I'm sure the best film will go to whoever they choose in the scheme of things," Rao said.
During the press screening for the movie in February, Kiran said, "Our primary recognition comes from the audience's response at the box office. If the viewers and the nation appreciate our work, that would be the greatest accolade for us."
"There is a specific community tasked with assessing and selecting the finest films of the year, and if our film is deemed worthy, we will submit it for the prestigious Oscars. However, for now, we are anticipating the recognition we are yet to receive on March 1, 2024, hinting at the film's release," she added.
The heartwarming and inspirational story of two brides set in 2001 rural India shows how the two unintentionally ends up switching places during a train ride.
The movie is produced by Rao’s Kindling Productions and Aamir Khan Productions. Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, and Sparsh Shrivastav played the lead characters in the film, which was released in March this year. The acclaimed film also starred Ravi Kishan, Chhaya Kadam, and Geeta Aggarwal Sharma.
Last year, the Malayalam blockbuster 2018 — Everyone is a Hero — was sent as India's entry to the prestigious award.
