The Film Federation of India (FFI) has officially selected Laapataa Ladies as the nation’s entry for the 2025 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. FFI Chairman Jahnu Barua on Monday announced the decision, revealing that the film was picked from a pool of 22 films, including 12 Hindi, 6 Tamil, and 4 Malayalam submissions.
Directed by Kiran Rao, and produced by Rao herself alongside Aamir Khan and Jyoti Deshpande, Laapataa Ladies features a cast of fresh talent, including Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, Chhaya Kadam, and Ravi Kishan. The film blends humor with social commentary, presenting a satirical take on the lives of rural Indian women.
Laapataa Ladies is Rao’s second directorial effort, following her critically acclaimed debut Dhobi Ghat in 2011. The story follows a young man whose bride is mistakenly swapped with another woman after their wedding, leading to a series of comedic yet thought-provoking events. The film, a blend of wit and satire, explores themes of identity, choice, and societal expectations placed on women.
In its official citation, the FFI jury praised the film’s layered portrayal of Indian women, said, “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. It shows you that women can happily desire to be homemakers 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 can engage, entertain and make sense not just to women in India but universally as well.”
The film, produced by Jio Studios, Aamir Khan Productions, and Kindling Pictures, had its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023. It hit Indian theaters in March and is now streaming on Netflix, continuing to gather acclaim both domestically and internationally.
Among the strong contenders vying for this year’s Oscars submission were Payal Kapadia’s Cannes-winning All We Imagine as Light and the critically praised Malayalam film Aattam, but neither made the final cut.
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