At an event in Chennai, the Film Federation of India announced ‘Laapataa Ladies’ as the country’s official entry for the 97th Academy Awards. Directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan, the film features Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Srivastava, and Nitanshi Goel in lead roles.
Ravi Kottarakara, President of the Film Federation of India, introduced the jury members who made the selection. Kiran Rao’s ‘Laapataa Ladies’ was picked from list of 29 films, including ‘Animal’ and ‘Aattam’.
The Hindi film, a light-hearted satire on patriarchy, was chosen from a list of 29 films, including Bollywood hit “Animal”, Malayalam National Award winner “Aattam” and Cannes winner “All We Imagine As Light”.
“This recognition is a testament to the tireless work of my entire team, whose dedication and passion brought this story to life…I hope that this film will resonate with audiences across the world, just as it has in India,” director Kiran Rao said.
“To the audience, your love and support mean the world to us, and it is your belief in this film that continues to inspire us as filmmakers to push creative boundaries. Thank you once again for this incredible honor,” she added.
The 13-member select 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.
Sharing her excitement Jyoti Deshpande, President Media and Content Business RIL shared, “This film has got unlimited love from audiences all over the world already and is one of the most watched films globally on OTT after its unusually long and resilient theatrical run…Jio Studios will do everything in our power to make India proud on a global stage.”
Tamil film “Maharaja”, Telugu titles “Kalki 2898 AD” and “Hanu-Man”, as well as the Hindi films “Swatantraya Veer Savarkar” and “Article 370” were also in the list.
Malayalam superhit “2018: Everyone is a Hero” was sent last year.
(With inputs from PTI)