Kiran Rao Hopes Laapataa Ladies Is Picked As India's 2025 Oscar Entry

Laapataa Ladies, starring Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta and Sparsh Shrivastav, garnered immense praise from the critics and audience. The movie didn't make money at the box office, but when it premiered on OTT, it was hailed by everyone. Now, director Kiran Rao has expressed her desire for the movie to be considered for India's official entry at the 2025 Academy Awards.

The director shared that it is her long-cherished dream that her film represents the country on the Oscar stage and believes the Film Federation of India (FFI) would pick the best film.

Kiran Rao hopes Laapataa Ladies becomes India's Oscar entry

“My dream would be fulfilled if it was if it would go (to the Oscars). But it's a process, and I'm hoping it'll (Laapataa Ladies) be considered. I'm sure the best film will go, whoever they choose in the scheme of things,” Rao told PTI.  Laapataa Ladies is a heartwarming and empowering take on two brides in rural India in 2001 who accidentally got swapped during a train journey. The film is produced by Rao’s Kindling Productions and Aamir Khan Productions.

The critically acclaimed film aims to promote the idea of gender equality in the rural space of India as well as emphasises women's education and empowerment.

Laapataa Ladies screened at Supreme Court

Last month, both Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan attended a special screening of the film at the Supreme Court of India. The screening was organised for judges, their families and officials.

“It's the vision and foresight of our chief justice to screen a film like this for staff and for justices to start conversations on gender parity, gender equality, and women's empowerment. The fact he watched the film and reached out to us, we couldn't believe it. We were so grateful and excited.

"It really gave us a chance to take this film to a wider consciousness and audience because the Supreme Court and the chief justice himself have in some way endorsed the film or put their goodwill into promoting the film in their circle. It really made or did a lot for our film, even for audiences as they felt that, ‘wow, there's merit in watching this film’. It really helped our film even get out further,” she said.

What if Laapataa Ladies re-releases in theatres?

Asked if she wants the film to re-release in theatres, given the ongoing trend of old hits and classics returning to cinema halls, Rao said she wouldn’t mind it as she believes audiences have opened to arthouse cinema today. “It would be lovely to see it again because when I made it and when it was released, it was a very different time. People were not very exposed to, in that sense, unusual arthouse cinema. So, what the audiences think of it now would be nice to see,” the filmmaker said.

- With PTI Inputs -