‘Laapataa Ladies’ takes the spotlight as India’s official entry for Oscars 2025

India has officially selected Laapataa Ladies as its entry for the 97th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Film category. Directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan, the film features talented actors Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Srivastava, and Nitanshi Goel. This announcement was made during an event in Chennai by The Film Federation of India, the organization responsible for choosing the official Oscar submissions.

The selection comes after last year’s entry, 2018, directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, failed to secure a spot on the shortlist for the 96th Oscars. In contrast, India had a strong presence at the 95th Academy Awards, with the song Naatu Naatu from RRR winning Best Original Song. Additionally, the documentary The Elephant Whisperers won Best Documentary (Short), while Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes was nominated for Best Documentary Feature.

Kiran Rao had expressed her hopes for Laapataa Ladies to shine on the international stage, sharing her long-held dream of representing India at the Oscars. She emphasized the importance of the journey, stating, “My dream would be fulfilled if it was, if it would go (to Oscars). But it's a process, and I'm hoping it'll be considered.”

Chosen from a competitive lineup of 29 films, including notable entries like Animal and Aattam, Laapataa Ladies has generated significant excitement. As anticipation builds, many are hopeful that this film will mark a turning point for Indian cinema at the Academy Awards, breaking the longstanding wait for an Indian film to win the Best Foreign Film award.