India has selected Kiran Rao’s comedy of errors Laapataa Ladies (Lost Ladies) to represent the country in the 2025 Oscar race in the Best International Feature category.
The Hindi-language film, which premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, beat out Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, which had been considered the frontrunner for the Oscar slot, after its rapturous reception in Cannes, where it won the festival’s Grand Jury prize.
But Rao’s feature has proven a crowd-pleaser on the festival circuit. The light satire follows Jaya (Pratibha Ranta) and Phool (Nitanshi Goel): Two new brides, whose faces are hidden behind identical red marital veils, both traveling on the same Indian cross-country rail car to their nuptials, who get accidentally swapped and land at the wrong weddings, setting them on very different destinies. Yash Raj Films picked up international distribution rights to the film, which bowed on Netflix India after its local theatrical release.
Despite the country’s long and rich cinema tradition, Indian films have struggled in the Oscar race. Only three Indian movies have received a Best International Feature nomination, decades apart: Mehboob Khan’s Mother India in 1957, Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay! in 1988, and Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan in 2001. S.S. Rajamouli’s Telugu-language action-adventure epic RRR, released on Netflix, was not put up for Best International Feature but made history for India last year winning the Oscar for Best Original Song.
The deadline for submissions for the 96th Oscars is Nov. 14. The shortlist for best international feature contenders will be announced Dec. 17. Nominations will be announced Jan. 17, 2025. The 2025 Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 2.