Laapataa Ladies picked as official entry for Oscars because of ‘Indianness’, reveals jury chairman Jahnu Barua

The Film Federation of India announced on Monday that Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies has been picked as India's official entry for the Oscars in 2025. It was selected out of a list of 29 titles, which included Cannes-winner All We Imagine As Light, National Award-winner Aattam, and Kalki 2898 AD. In a new interview with Indian Express, director Jahnu Barua, the Assamese filmmaker who lead the Film Federation of India jury to pick the title, revealed why Laapataa Ladies made the cut. (Also read: Twitter reacts to Laapataa Ladies being chosen as India's official Oscar entry over All We Imagine as Light: ‘Stupidity’)

What the chairman said

During the interview when Jahnu was asked about the reason why Laapataa Ladies was selected, he said: “The jury has to look at the right film that represents India on all fronts. Particularly, the film has to represent India’s social systems and ethos. The Indianness is very important, and Laapataa Ladies scored on that front.”

He went on to add, “It is important that the best suited film, which represents India, is sent as the official entry to the Oscars. There could be a better film outside the 29 films that were nominated too. But the jury can only choose from what they have been given, right?”

More details

The 13-member select committee headed by Assamese director Jahnu Barua 'unanimously' decided on Laapataa Ladies, produced by Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao, for representing India in the best international film category at the Academy Awards.

The film stars newcomers Pratibha Ratna, Sparsh Shrivastav, and Nitanshi Goel. Set in a fictitious state called Nirmal Pradesh in 2001, Laapataa Ladies is a story of the brides Phool and Pushpa. They accidentally get swapped during a train journey. While one is taken home by another's groom, the other is left stranded at a railway station. A police officer, Kishan, takes it upon himself to probe the case. The film is presented by Jio Studios and produced by Aamir Khan Productions and Kiran Rao's Kindling Productions. Laapataa Ladies is produced by Kiran, Aamir Khan and Jyoti Deshpande.

In the jury citation, the Film Federation of India wrote, “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-in-cheek way. It shows you that women can happily desire to be home makers as well as rebel and be entrepreneurially inclined. A story that can simultaneously be seen as one that needs change, and one that can bring about change. Laapataa Ladies (Hindi) is a film that will engage, entertain and make sense not just to women in India but universally as well."