Kiran Rao’s ‘Laapataa Ladies’, India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards, has fallen short of making the coveted shortlist.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the nominees for 10 categories on Tuesday, and the film’s exclusion left fans and cinephiles in India disheartened.

Advertisement

Released in theaters on March 1, 2024, ‘Laapataa Ladies’ is a rural drama with a unique storyline. It follows the journey of two young brides who are mistakenly swapped on a train, leading to a series of unexpected events.

The film features an ensemble cast, including Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Ravi Kishan, and Chhaya Kadam.

Also Read: INTERVIEW: Kiran Rao on ‘Laapataa Ladies’ and sparking change through cinema

Produced by Aamir Khan Productions, Kindling Pictures, and Jio Studios, the film marked Kiran Rao’s return to direction after a long hiatus. Despite its engaging narrative and critical acclaim, the film could not secure a place in the Oscars race.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lost Ladies (@lostladiesfilm)

In a bid to appeal to international audiences, the film was rebranded as ‘Lost Ladies’, with its Hindi title translated into English. The team also screened the movie in London recently as part of its promotional campaign for the Oscars 2025.

India has a long history of striving for recognition in the Best International Feature Film category. The last Indian film to make it to the final five nominations was Aamir Khan’s ‘Lagaan’ in 2002. Before that, ‘Mother India’ (1957) and ‘Salaam Bombay!’ (1988) were the only Indian films to achieve this feat.

While ‘Laapataa Ladies’ may not have advanced in this year’s Oscars race, its journey has shown enormous presense in the evolving landscape of Indian cinema on the global stage.

The Oscars ceremony is set to take place in March 2025.