The Film Federation of India announced on Monday that Kiran Rao’s Hindi film “Laapataa Ladies” has been chosen as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2025 Academy Awards.
The light-hearted satire on patriarchy emerged victorious from a competitive field of 29 contenders, including the Bollywood blockbuster “Animal,” the Malayalam National Award-winning film “Aattam,” and the Cannes Film Festival winner “All We Imagine As Light.”
The 13-member selection committee, chaired by Assamese director Jahnu Barua, unanimously endorsed “Laapataa Ladies,” produced by Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao, as India’s most suitable representation at the prestigious Oscars.
Other notable films considered for the honor included the Tamil film “Maharaja,” the Telugu titles “Kalki 2898 AD” and “Hanu-Man,” as well as the Hindi films “Swatantraya Veer Savarkar” and “Article 370.” Last year, the Malayalam superhit “2018: Everyone is a Hero” was India’s Oscar submission.
