Aayush Pathak
In a momentous occasion for Indian cinema, Kiran Rao’s critically acclaimed film ‘Laapataa Ladies’ has been chosen as India’s official entry for the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature category. The Film Federation of India (FFI) made the announcement on Monday, selecting the movie from a list of 29 contenders, including the Bollywood blockbuster ‘Animal’ and the Malayalam National Award winner ‘Aattam’.
A Unanimous Selection
The 13-member select committee, led by Assamese director Jahnu Barua, unanimously chose ‘Laapataa Ladies’ as India’s submission for the prestigious awards. The committee praised the film’s ability to capture the diversity of Indian women, stating, “Indian women are a strange mixture of submission and dominance. Well-defined, powerful characters in one world, Laapataa Ladies (Hindi) captures this diversity perfectly, though in a semi-idyllic world and in a tongue-and-cheek way.”
Despite opening to a slow start on March 1, ‘Laapataa Ladies’ managed to pick up pace at the box office due to positive word-of-mouth and critical acclaim. According to Sacnilk, the film earned just Rs 75 lakh on its opening day but went on to collect nearly Rs 4 crore in its opening weekend. By the end of its first week, the total box office collection stood at Rs 6.05 crore, and after 50 days of theatrical release, the film had grossed Rs 17.31 crore.
About the Film
‘Laapataa Ladies’, presented by Jio Studios, is Kiran Rao’s sophomore directorial effort after the acclaimed ‘Dhobi Ghat’ (2011). The satirical comedy-drama, produced by Aamir Khan and Jyoti Deshpande under the banners of Aamir Khan Productions and Kindling Productions, tells the story of a young man whose bride accidentally gets swapped with someone else’s.
The film features a talented ensemble cast, including Nitanshi Goel, Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, Chhaya Kadam, and Ravi Kishan. The screenplay and dialogue were written by Sneha Desai, with additional dialogues by Divyanidhi Sharma.
India’s Oscar Journey
India’s last nomination for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards was for ‘Lagaan’ in 2001. This year, other films in the running for the Oscar selection included Payal Kapadia’s Cannes-winning ‘All We Imagine as Light’ and the acclaimed Malayalam drama ‘Aattam’, but they ultimately did not make the cut.
‘Laapataa Ladies’ has been praised for its ability to engage, entertain, and resonate with audiences universally. The FFI jury’s citation highlights the film’s portrayal of women who can “happily desire to be home makers as well as rebel and be entrepreneurially inclined.”
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