Deeply honoured: Kiran Rao on Laapataa Ladies being selected as India’s official Oscars entry
Director Kiran Rao and a still from Laapataa Ladies
Director Kiran Rao's week has started with much joy and thrill. Rao's directorial Laapataa Ladies has become India's official entry for the 97th Academy Awards.
On Monday, the Film Federation of India announced that Rao's rural drama will be representing the country at the Oscars 2025.
The movie was chosen from a list of 29 films, including Cannes winner All We Imagine as Light, Animal, Attam, Sam Bahadur, Chandu Champion, Kalki 2898 AD, Joram and Maidaan.
Kiran Rao on Laapataa Ladies being selected as India's entry for Oscars 2025
A few hours after the announcement, thrilled Rao expressed her gratitude in a statement shared on her social media handles.
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She wrote, "I am deeply honored and delighted that our film Laapataa Ladies has been chosen as India's official entry to the Academy Awards. This recognition is a testament to the tireless work of my entire team, whose dedication and passion brought this story to life.''
Rao's film has garnered immense praise for its subject. Hoping that her rural drama resonates with audiences across the world, she wrote, ''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."
The director wrote further, “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 honour.”
Read her full statement here:
More About Laapataa Ladies:
The movie is a humorous satire on patriarchy with a strong message on gender equality and women's empowerment as it questions the struggles faced by the young girls in rural India.
Based on an award-winning story by Biplab Goswami, the movie is set in the fictional state of Nirmal Pradesh, where a young boy named Deepak, a farmer, loseshis bride Phool Kumariand mistakenly brings another bride, Pushpa, to his home. How Deepak, with the help of his friends and police, finds his bride makes the rest of the story.
The movie stars Pratibha Ratna, Sparsh Shrivastav, Nitanshi Goel, Ravi Kishan andChhaya Kadam among other cast members.
Released on March 1, the movie garnered an outstanding response from critics and audiences alike. The movie is currently streaming on Netflix.