'Laapataa Ladies' is India's official entry for Oscars 2025

Chennai: Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies has been picked as India's official entry for Oscars 2025, the Film Federation of India announced here on Monday.

The Hindi film, a light-hearted satire on patriarchy, was chosen from a list of 29 films, including Bollywood hit Animal, Malayalam National Award winner Aattam and Cannes winner All We Imagine As Light.

The 13-member select committee headed by Assamese director Jahnu Barua "unanimously" decided on Laapataa Ladies, produced by Aamir Khan and Rao, for reckoning in the best international film category at the Academy Awards.

Besides Laapataa Ladies, Hindi 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 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.

Rao said she is "deeply honored and delighted" that her film will represent India at the 97th Academy Awards.

"Cinema has always been a powerful medium to connect hearts, transcend boundaries, and ignite meaningful conversations. I hope that this film will resonate with audiences across the world, just as it has in India.

"I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the selection committee and to everyone who believed in this film. ​It is indeed a great privilege to be selected from among such amazing Indian films this year - who are equally worthy contenders for this honor," the director said in a statement.

The filmmaker, who returned to direct Laapataa Ladies after a hiatus of almost 13 years, said she and her team look forward to taking the journey ahead "with great enthusiasm". Rao made her debut with Dhobi Ghat, the 2010 drama centered around people from different walks of life in Mumbai.

Starring Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta and Sparsh Shrivastav in the lead alongside Ravi Kishan, Chhaya Kadam and Geeta Aggarwal Sharma, the Hindi film had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

Tamil film Maharaja, Telugu titles Kalki 2898 AD and Hanu-Man, as well as the Hindi films Swatantraya Veer Savarkar and Article 370 were also part of the list.

No Indian entry has been nominated for best international feature film at the Oscars since the Khan-starrer 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! Malayalam superhit 2018: Everyone is a Hero was sent last year.