Directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan, Laapataa Ladies has been selected as India's official entry as Best International Feature Film for the 97th Academy Awards or the Oscars 2025. The film starred Pratibha Ranta, Nitanshi Goel, Sparsh Shrivastav, Ravi Kishan, and Chhaya Kadam in the leading roles.
A light-hearted satire on patriarchy, Laapataa Ladies was chosen from a list of 29 films, including Malayalam National Award winner Aattam and Cannes winner All We Imagine As Light. The other films included in the list were HanuMan, Chhota Bheem and The Curse of Damyaan, Kalki 2898 AD, Good Luck, Gharat Ganpati, Kill, Animal, Kalki 2898 AD, Srikanth, Chandu Champion, Maharaja, Joram, Maidaan, Kottukkaali, Sam Bahadur, Mangalavaaram, Ullozhukku, Aadujeevitham, Jigarthanda Double X, Thangalaan, Jama, Vaazhai, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, Article 370, Ghaath, Abha, and Swaragandharva Sudhir Phadke. Besides Laapataa Ladies, Bollywood film Srikanth, Tamil movies Vaazhai and Thangalaan, and Malayalam film Ullozhukku were among the top five in the 29-title list.
Laapataa Ladies, which was released in March earlier this year to universal praise from the critics, is a heartwarming and empowering take on two brides in rural India in 2001 who accidently get swapped during a train journey. The film is backed by Rao's Kindling Productions, Aamir Khan Productions, and Jio Studios. It had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. Kiran Rao returned to direct Laapataa Ladies after a hiatus of 13 years. She made her directorial debut with Dhobi Ghat, the 2011 drama centered around people from different walks of life in Mumbai.
No Indian entry has been nominated for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars since the Aamir Khan and Ashutosh Gowariker's Lagaan in 2002. Only two other films have previously made it to the final five and they are the Nargis-starrer Mother India and Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay.
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