Tremendous honour

Kiran Rao on her directorial Laapataa Ladies being India’s Oscars pick

Kiran Rao’s directorial venture Laapataa Ladies has been chosen as India’s official entry in the Best Foreign Film Category for the Oscars 2025 by the Film Federation of India on Monday.

An ecstatic Kiran told us, “I was hoping that Laapataa Ladies would be selected by the committee, but honestly, I didn’t expect it. My first reaction was utter disbelief! It’s only after my phone started pinging non-stop that I realised what had happened. I spoke to Aamir (Khan, co-producer) as soon as it was confirmed, and then others from our team - Ram Sampath, Sneha Desai, Chhaya Kadam, Ravi Kishan and Divynidhi Sharma. It has been quite overwhelming. This has been such a great year for Indian films and there were so many brilliant films in the mix. It’s a tremendous honour for our entire team.”

The film was applauded by critics and audiences alike. About the love the film has received, Kiran shared, “We have such a treasure trove of talent in India, and it’s always a delight to discover and present new actors to the audience. Getting an opportunity to direct a film is such a great privilege in the first place. I’m grateful to Aamir for giving me this opportunity and to Jyoti Deshpande for championing the film.”

Ask her if Laapataa Ladies will bring back an Oscar home and she says, “I have my fingers firmly crossed! For now, we are just happy to be selected.

We have a long road ahead and will have to figure out the best way forward.” On tapping into Aamir’s experience to plan a strategy she said, “Aamir’s experience will of course be invaluable to us. His insights and knowledge will help formulate the strategy for our campaign.”

meanwhile...
Humour & heart
Actress Pratibha Ranta, who essayed the role of Jaya Tripathi Singh or Pushpa Rani in ‘Laapataa Ladies’, is chuffed with the film being submitted as India’s official entry to the 97th Academy Award by the Film Federation of India.
The actress is hopeful that the film will be able to secure a seat in the final nominations owing to the film’s weaving of humour and heart into a story that resonates globally.
Talking about the same, the actress told IANS, “I’m so excited about the chance for ‘Laapataa Ladies’ to be in the running for the Oscars. It would mean everything to me. Working on this film has been an incredible experience, and I’m thrilled it might get recognized at such a high level. Playing Jaya has been a dream, especially since this is my first movie. The idea of an Oscar nomination is amazing”.

She further mentioned, “I trust that the selection will showcase the best films, and I’m really thankful for this opportunity. I can’t wait to see what comes next. As Indian films gain international acclaim, Lapaataa Ladies stands out, weaving humour and heart into a story that resonates globally. Owing to this, there are strong chances of it making it to the final nominations, proving that our narratives can connect cultures beyond borders”.