‘Not able to believe’: Actor Ravi Kishan on ‘Laapataa Ladies’ entering Oscars, beating mega hits like ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, ‘Animal’

BJP MP and actor Ravi Kishan expressed immense joy and surprise on ‘Laapataa Ladies’ being selected as India’s official film entry for Oscars 2025. 

Laapataa Ladies has been selected as India’s official entry for the 2025 Oscars, the Film Federation of India announced on September 23. The movie, which takes a humorous stance on patriarchy, emerged as a winner from a list of 29 shortlisted films.  

Reacting to news, Kishan said, “I am so happy. I am not able to believe this. This is my first film that has made an entry in the Oscars... I give the whole credit to Kiran Rao, Aamir Khan, the writers and the cast of the film... We know that this film will be a hit, it will make an entry in the nationals. But we will enter the Oscars, I never thought that.”  

The Kiran Rao directed movie emerged a winner against recent box office mega blockbusters like the Sandeep Reddy Vanga's “Animal” featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Tripti Dimri and Rashmika Mandanna, and Nag Ashwin directed “Kalki 2898 AD” featuring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachhan and Deepika Padukone, besides Malayalam National Award winner “Aattam” and Cannes winner “All We Imagine As Light”. 

Kishan said the movie should be re-released in the theatres and be made tax-free for the audience as it carries an important message. “This movie teaches a lot of things. It is a book in itself...” the actor-turned-politician added. 

The 13-member select committee headed by Assamese director Jahnu Barua unanimously decided on Laapataa Ladies, produced by Aamir Khan and Rao for presentation in the best international film category at the Academy Awards. 

Citing the impact of cinema as a medium, Kiran Rao continued, “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the selection committee and to everyone who believed in this film. It is indeed a great privilege to be selected from among such amazing Indian films this year -- who are equally worthy contenders for this honour.”  

Thanking the cast, crew and production team for their relentless endeavour, Kiran said, “My deepest thanks go to Aamir Khan Productions and Jio Studios for their unwavering support and faith in this vision. It has been a privilege to work alongside such a passionate and talented team of professionals who shared my commitment to telling this story. I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the entire cast and crew, whose immense talent, dedication, and hard work made this film possible. This journey has been one of incredible collaboration and growth.” 

Hindi film “Srikanth”, Tamil movies “Vaazhai”, “Thangalaan” and “Maharaja” and Malayalam film “Ullozhukku” Telegu movie “Hanu-Man” as well as Hindi films “Swatantraya Veer Savarkar” and “Article 370” were also among the 29-title list. 

No Indian entry has been nominated for best international feature film at the Oscars since the Khan-starrer “Lagaan” in 2002. Only two other films have previously made it to the final five and they are the Nargis-starrer “Mother India” and Mira Nair’s “Salaam Bombay!” 

Malayalam superhit “2018: Everyone is a Hero” was sent last year. 

Although Laapataa Ladies performed modestly at the box office upon its theatrical release earlier this year, it gained significant popularity following its debut on the Netflix platform, ultimately earning acclaim for its thematic depth and storytelling.

On August 9, 2024, the Supreme Court of India screened the movie Laapataa Ladies to raise gender awareness among its employees. The screening was held as part of the Supreme Court's 75th anniversary celebrations. 

(With inputs from agencies)