In a proud moment for Indian cinema, Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies has been officially selected as India’s entry for the Oscars 2025 in the Best International Feature Film category. The Film Federation of India (FFI) made the announcement on September 23, sparking excitement across the film industry.
Released in March 2024, Laapataa Ladies is a satirical comedy-drama, marking Rao’s return to direction after her 2011 film Dhobi Ghat. The film tells the quirky tale of a groom whose bride accidentally gets swapped with another during their wedding. The cast includes Sparsh Shrivastava, Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Ravi Kishan, and Chhaya Kadam. Based on Biplab Goswami’s award-winning screenplay Two Brides, the film critiques the patriarchal traditions in rural India through its humorous storytelling.
Nitanshi Goel, one of the film’s leads, expressed her joy at the news and jokingly said she plans to celebrate by making “Kalakand for everyone.” The movie is currently streaming on Netflix, having been produced by Jio Studios, Aamir Khan Productions, and Kindling Pictures.
While Laapataa Ladies‘ selection has been celebrated, it also sparked disappointment among fans of Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, which many hoped would be India’s Oscar submission. The film had earlier won the Grand Prix at Cannes 2024. Actor Chhaya Kadam, who appeared in both Laapataa Ladies and All We Imagine As Light, shared her mixed emotions, expressing pride for Laapataa Ladies while feeling “bad” about the exclusion of Kapadia’s film.
With Laapataa Ladies now on its way to represent India at the global stage, expectations are high for this vibrant and satirical take on gender and societal norms to make waves at the 2025 Academy Awards.
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