India’s ‘Laapataa Ladies’ Misses Oscar Shortlist, Out Of Contention

Kiran Rao’s directorial Laapataa Ladies, which was India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Oscars, has been eliminated from the race.

On Tuesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the shortlists for 10 categories for the upcoming 97th Oscars ceremony. Unfortunately, Laapataa Ladies was not among the films selected, leaving Indian audiences disappointed.

Produced by Aamir Khan Productions, Kindling Pictures, and Jio Studios, Laapataa Ladies hit theaters on March 1, 2024. The film stars Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Ravi Kishan, and Chhaya Kadam.

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Set in rural India, the film tells the story of two young brides who are mistakenly swapped on a train. Following its release, the film’s team, including director Kiran Rao and producer Aamir Khan, has already begun campaigning for the 2025 Oscars. The film was recently screened in London.

On November 12, the movie unveiled a new poster with the title Lost Ladies, making the transition from the Hindi word Laapataa (meaning “lost”) to its English equivalent, Lost, for international audiences.

It’s worth noting that Aamir Khan’s Lagaan was the last Indian film to reach the top five nominations in the Best International Feature Film category (formerly Best Foreign Film) at the 2002 Oscars. The other two occasions when Indian films received nominations were Mother India (1957) and Salaam Bombay (1988).

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