Kiran Rao's social satire Laapataa Ladies has been officially selected as India's entry for Best International Film at the Oscars 2025. The selection was made by a jury appointed by the Film Federation of India (FFI), led by Assamese filmmaker Jahnu Barua. The film, produced by Aamir Khan, would normally have been met with unanimous approval, but that isn’t the case this time. Film buffs believe there was another contender with a better chance at the 97th Academy Awards - Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light. ‘Laapataa Ladies’ Is India’s Official Entry to Oscars 2025: From Other Nominees to Where To Watch It Online – All You Need To Know About Selection of Kiran Rao’s Directorial.

Unlike Laapataa Ladies, which had a full theatrical release, Payal Kapadia's film had a very limited release in India. Thanks to Rana Daggubati's distribution company, the film was screened in Kerala just days before the end of September to qualify for Oscar submission.

All We Imagine as Light was even shortlisted but ultimately lost out to Laapataa Ladies as India's official entry for the 97th Academy Awards.

Netizens Who Feel 'All We Imagine as Light' Was a Better Choice

'This Was Probably Expected'

'An Incompetent Body'

'Vague Selection Process'

'Saved the Govt's Face'

'Cannes Grand Prix Winner'

Why Fans Feel 'All We Imagine as Light' Had a Better Chance

Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2024. It was the first Indian film to compete in the main competition since 1994 and went on to win the Grand Prix—the festival's second-highest honour after the Palme d'Or (won by Anora). All We Imagine as Light was also a critics' favourite at Cannes 2024. The film stars Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, and Hridhu Haroon. ‘All We Imagine As Light’: Rana Daggubati and Kerala Give Payal Kapadia’s Grand Prix-Winning Film a Fighting Chance at Oscars 2025, Here’s How!

Though set in India and featuring an Indian cast, All We Imagine as Light is not a fully Indian production. It was an international co-production involving companies from France, India, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy. This means any of these countries could submit it as their official entry for the Oscars 2025. However, France chose Emilia Perez as its entry, likely due to the star power of Zoe Saldanha and Selena Gomez and the use of the English language, which might improve its chances at the Oscars.

India had the next best opportunity to nominate All We Imagine as Light, but instead chose to go with Laapataa Ladies. While some believe this was the wrong decision, others think it was the right one. ‘Laapataa Ladies’: ‘Mixture of Submission and Dominance’! Netizens Slam FFI’s Description for ‘Indian Women’ in Oscars 2025 Entry Selection for Kiran Rao’s Film.

Why Some Netizens Feel 'Laapataa Ladies' Was Best Choice as India's Official Entry for Oscars 2025

There’s a reason India has separate juries for the National Film Awards and for selecting the country's official Oscar entry. It's not just about choosing the best film but also about selecting a movie with the best chance of making it to the Oscar nominations. However, the jury's track record hasn’t always been consistent. One crucial factor is whether the producers can afford to screen the film widely in the USA and generate enough buzz, which is an expensive process. This is why even when India sends its best films, it often fails to make the final cut.

India has been sending entries to the Oscars since 1957, but only three films have made it to the final five nominees: Mehboob Khan's Mother India (also the first Indian film ever submitted) in 1957, Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay! in 1988, and Ashutosh Gowariker's Lagaan in 2001. The producer of Lagaan, who also starred in the film, was Aamir Khan—one of the producers of Laapataa Ladies. There’s little doubt that Aamir Khan has the influence and resources to lobby Laapataa Ladies heavily before the Oscar jury members. This is one reason why some believe Laapataa Ladies is the right choice. (It does make one wonder why this reasoning wasn’t applied in 2022 when Pan Nalin's Last Film Show was selected over SS Rajamouli's RRR.)

'Perfect Choice'

'All About Lobbying'

'Well Deserved'

'Deserves All Appreciation'

'Happy'

However, even considering the expensive pre-Oscar campaign process and Aamir Khan’s ability to promote Laapataa Ladies, All We Imagine as Light is no lightweight contender. The film has multiple international co-production companies behind it. Janus Films and distribution partner Sideshow have acquired the North American distribution rights, and they are a significant force. Plus, All We Imagine as Light's Cannes win has already generated substantial international buzz, making the Oscar push much easier compared to Laapataa Ladies, which will have to start from scratch.

Why Jury Selected 'Laapataa Ladies' as India's Official Entry for Oscars 2025

In an interview with Indian Express, the jury head, Jahnu Barua, revealed the reason why his team picked Laapataa Ladies. He said, "The jury has to look at the right film that represents India on all fronts. Particularly, the film has to represent India’s social systems and ethos. The Indianness is very important, and Laapataa Ladies scored on that front." So that's the factor - 'Indianness'. Wonder how the other contenders failed in this...

So what do you think, readers? Did the jury make the right choice by selecting Laapataa Ladies over All We Imagine as Light? Or is this another The Lunchbox and RRR situation?

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 23, 2024 05:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).