Kiran Rao's directorial Laapataa Ladies has been selected as India's official entry for the 97th Academy Awards. The film triumphed over 29 other films including Animal, Sam Bahadur, Chandu Champion, Article 370, and Kalki 2898 AD, among others, to secure its place in the Oscars 2025 race.
Aamir Khan, who has produced Laapataa Ladies, expressed gratitude. In an official statement, the actor's production house wrote, "Heartfelt thanks to the Film Federation of India selection committee for choosing our film Laapataa Ladies to represent India at the Oscars!"
Check out the official statement:
"We are immensely grateful to our audiences, the media, and the film fraternity for their overwhelming love and support for Laapataa Ladies. Thank you to Jio Studios and Netflix for their strong support," read the statement.
Meanwhile, Laapataa Ladies is the second time Aamir's film has been selected as India's official entry for the Oscars. Earlier, in 2002, Lagaan was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film but lost to Bosnia's No Man's Land at the 74th Academy Awards.
Earlier, Kiran expressed her gratitude and stated that it is a privilege that her film has been selected. Her statement read, "I am deeply honoured 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. 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 film starred Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Srivastava, Nitanshi Goel, Chhaya Kadam, and Ravi Kishan, among others.
Released in March this year, Laapataa Ladies is currently available to watch on Netflix.