The announcement of Laapataa Ladies being picked as India’s official entry at Oscars 2025 led to divided opinions on social media. While many feel the Kiran Rao film has an edge over the other 28 in the final list, others believe that Payal Kapadia’s film– All We Imagine as Light– could have been a better pick.
After the announcement, India Today exclusively spoke to acclaimed filmmaker Jahnu Barua, who headed the 13-member committee that made this unanimous decision about the selection.
Speaking to India Today on the film, Barua said, “This year has been quite a good one, and we got some interesting mix of films. One thing about Laapataa Ladies that stood out was how it highlighted so many issues related to women in a very unique way. Also, we always look at chaos in a negative light but we fail to understand that there’s also a lot of beauty in it. The Indian social system, our relationships, and interactions have traditionally always had chaos. That is what the committee took note of and really enjoyed it.”
The 13-member selection 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.
Explaining the reasons behind the selection of the film, Jahnu Barua said, “Because the film is so identifiable among film lovers. Socially, worldwide, the issues, particularly the ones that are hardly portrayed, have been highlighted in the film. So many great films across the country come for selection, and as the jury, you would want your chosen film to get into the nomination.”
Reasoning their decision for not picking All We Imagine as Light, the FFI committee chairman said, “The jury did discuss this probability. It is a film that shouldn’t be neglected at all. Because it was also the first time, we saw the film, there were also a lot of expectations. However, in my personal opinion, the film could have been technically better. When a film has to be sent to Oscar, you need to look into a lot of aspects. No doubt, the subject was an important one, and Payal has done a wonderful job. We wish we could choose it too.”
Addressing the question of why no female was involved in the committee, the filmmaker said, “I don’t know what to say, it’s a learning we will take with us. But I must add that there was a woman member part of the committee but due to some reasons, she could not come. However, I must add that the jury has been fantastic, and they did a great job.”
The press release mentioning the citation of Laapataa Ladies selection was also slammed for its opening sentence as it read, “Indian women are a strange mixture of submission and dominance…”.
When asked about the same, Barua said, “I feel it needs to be taken sportingly, and not negatively. We are all a mix, and we should celebrate that. Indian society is all about social chaos, which has been beautifully depicted in the film. Our traditions and culture have been so different, and that sets us apart from the West. We shouldn’t read too much into it and look at it positively.”
Jahnu Barua also discussed how even though India produces numerous films, not much manage to get international recognition. An Indian film is yet to be honoured with an Oscar, which he says is a matter of concern for the industry and the nation. “The films that we want to be eligible, need to be made with the factor of representing the country. These factors automatically come in. Earlier, the films that we sent somewhere also lacked those aspects. We make the largest number of films, close to 2000 per year. But we haven’t yet figured out the Oscars. And that is a matter of concern for every countryman. What usually happens is that films in commercial arenas are made as per the demand and supply rules. Whatever the audience wants, filmmakers give them that kind of content. However, they may be far from being qualified for an entry at the Oscars.”
When asked about the next step by FFI and the government to empower filmmakers to compete internationally, he shared, “Film Federation of India being the parental body of the industry, its responsibility is to pick the best film and send it for Oscars. The biggest problem is to choose one film out of so many good films made in a year. It’s almost next to impossible. Even then, it reaches out to filmmakers asking them to send in entries. This year we got 29 films and had to pick the best among them. Sometimes as a jury member, we feel that we may have missed a better film because it was never sent to us. It’s important to solve this problem, which we have already raised in the industry. There needs to be some kind of a system, a process, where the country’s best films can be sent.”
Other industry veterans like Ravi Jadhav, GP Vijayakumar (producer), Santhosh Raman (art director), Bobby Bedi (producer), and Longinus Fernandes (choreographer), among others were part of the 13-member jury.
