On September 23, 2024, the jury appointed by the Film Federation of India (FFI) selected Kiran Rao's social dramedy Laapataa Ladies as India's official entry for Oscars 2025. Co-produced by Aamir Khan, Laapataa Ladies stars Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Chhaya Kadam and Ravi Kishan. The movie had received highly positive reviews from critics, though it was an average performer at the box office. So this selection as India's submission to the 97th Academy Awards is definitely an achievement for the Hindi movie. ‘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!

However, not all were happy with the selection by the jury led by Assamese-filmmaker Jahnu Barua. Many felt Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light, which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, should have been the better choice. There are also others who took offence at the reasoning given for selecting Laapataa Ladies as India's official submission for Oscars 2025.

The page from the official statement that mentions the citation with the reasoning starts with the line 'Indian women are a strange mixture of submission and dominance'. Laapataa Ladies Movie Review: Kiran Rao's Social Commentary On Women Empowerment Is Delightfully Entertaining!

This line has offended many on social media, as they felt the sentence belittled what it means to be a woman in India.

How Netizens Reacted to FFI Citation for 'Laapataa Ladies'

'Crazy Opening'

'So Offensive It's Funny'

'ChatGPT'

'Time to Pause'

'50 Shades of Grey Summary'

'Jury Ka Spelling'

BTW, in case you are wondering, here are the jury members involved in the selection of India's submission for official entry at Oscars 2025.

Will Laapataa Ladies manage to make it to the final nominations for Best International Feature Film at Oscars 2025? Aamir Khan had already pulled it once with the 2001 movie Lagaan, so let's wait and watch if he can pull off the miracle again. Or will this be the case of India once again selecting the wrong movie as they previously ignored The Lunchbox and RRR in the past?

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 23, 2024 03:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).