Kiran Rao’s “Laapataa Ladies” Selected as India’s Official Entry for Oscars 2025

Mumbai: Filmmaker Kiran Rao’s comedy-drama Laapataa Ladies has been officially selected as India’s entry for the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars 2025 by the Film Federation of India. The highly anticipated Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 2025.

The film was chosen from a strong lineup of 29 contenders, including high-profile titles such as Animal, Kill, Kalki 2898 AD, Srikanth, Chandu Champion, Joram, Maidaan, Sam Bahadur, Article 370, the National Award-winning Malayalam film Aattam, and Cannes winner All We Imagine As Light by Payal Kapadia.

The selection jury, led by renowned Assamese director Jahnu Barua, unanimously picked Laapataa Ladies for its distinctive storytelling. The film features an ensemble cast, including Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Chhaya Kadam, and Ravi Kishan, and is produced by Kiran Rao, Aamir Khan, and Jyoti Deshpande.

Laapataa Ladies, which premiered in India in March 2024, is a lighthearted slice-of-life comedy centered on two young brides who get separated on the same train, each with different grooms. The film’s humorous tale of mistaken identities and misadventures captivated audiences for over 100 days in theaters and has since found success on streaming platforms.

In addition to its Oscar journey, the film is set to release in Japan on October 4, 2024. Rao, a longtime admirer of Japanese cinema, expressed her excitement: “I’m thrilled that Laapataa Ladies is releasing in Japan. As an admirer of Japanese cinema, this feels like a full-circle moment. I hope the film’s emotional core will resonate with Japanese audiences just as it did with ours.”

Based on an award-winning story by Biplab Goswami, Laapataa Ladies is produced under the banners of Aamir Khan Productions and Kindling Productions. The screenplay and dialogues are written by Sneha Desai, with additional dialogues by Divyanidhi Sharma.

As India’s official entry, Laapataa Ladies is now set to represent the country on the global stage at the Oscars, adding to the film’s growing legacy and international appeal.