Laapataa Ladies or Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, Which is India’s Official Entry for Oscars?

On Monday, the Indian film industry celebrated the selection of Kiran Rao’s ‘Laapataa Ladies’ as India’s official entry for the 2025 Academy Awards. The film now aims to compete for the Best International Feature Film award alongside entries from around the globe. However, confusion arose on Tuesday when film producer Sandeep Singh announced via social media that his Randeep Hooda-led film, ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’, had also been submitted for the Oscars. His headline claiming it as India’s official entry added to the existing confusion.

Clarifying the Official Entry

It’s important to note that the Indian government, specifically the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, does not participate in the selection of India’s official Oscar entry. Instead, this responsibility falls to the Film Federation of India (FFI), an independent body that has overseen this process for decades. According to an FFI release, ‘Laapataa Ladies’ is the film that has been officially submitted for consideration. The film, directed by Kiran Rao, will hope to make it onto the long list later this year, with final nominations announced in January.

The Status of ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’

While ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’ may also have been submitted for the Oscars, it is not being considered as India’s “official” entry. Producer Sandeep Singh’s assertion that it was “officially” submitted has contributed to the confusion. Singh’s acknowledgment of the FFI and its jury president Jahnu Barua further fueled the misunderstanding. However, in a conversation with HT City, FFI President Ravi Kottakara clarified, “They (the makers of Savarkar) have given some wrong communication. I am going to release a statement about it as well. Only ‘Laapataa Ladies’ has been sent for Oscars from India officially.”

Can There Be Two Films from One Country?

This situation raises the question of how two films can be submitted for the Oscars when the Academy permits only one official entry from each country. The answer lies in the distinction between “official” entries and independent submissions. While only one film can be an official entry, filmmakers can still submit their works as independent entries. This was seen in 2022 when the Gujarati film ‘Chello Show’ (Last Film Show) was India’s official entry, but both SS Rajamouli’s blockbuster ‘RRR’ and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ were submitted independently.

Overview of the Contenders

‘Laapataa Ladies’, directed by Kiran Rao, features newcomers Sparsh Srivastava, Pratibha Ranta, and Nitanshi Goel. This dramedy, centered around two “lost” brides in rural India during the 1990s, was commercially unsuccessful yet received critical acclaim. Conversely, ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’ stars Randeep Hooda in the role of the activist and thinker VD Savarkar. Directed by Hooda himself, the film opened to mixed reviews and did not perform well at the box office.