Delight and disappointment—these two polarising emotions dominated the online discourse after the Film Federation of India (FFI), on Monday afternoon, announced India’s official entry to the Academy Awards 2025. Director Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies was selected to represent the country in the Best International Feature Film category. There is little to fault in Rao’s widely acclaimed comedy about women’s empowerment, but a section of the population was shocked that it outshone Payal Kapadia’s Cannes Grand Prix-winning film, All We Imagine As Light, and Anand Ekarshi’s National Award-winning thriller Aattam.

Longinus Fernandes, who was part of the 13-member jury headed by filmmaker Jahnu Barua, tells mid-day that Laapataa Ladies got a resounding response. Recalling the eight-day process over which they watched 29 movies, Fernandes says, “We would watch four to five movies [a day] and have discussions every day after the screenings, where we listed the movies that could be considered. Laapataa Ladies was screened on the seventh day. The next day, it was almost a unanimous call to send it as India’s entry to the Oscars. Eighty per cent of the jury, including me, voted for it.”

The films in the running included Hindi fare like Animal (2023), Srikanth and Chandu Champion, Tamil movies Vaazhai and Thangalaan, as well as Malayalam offerings Ullozhukku and Aadujeevitham. 

“There was stiff competition from Aattam, Vaazhai, Ullozhukku, Maharaja, Maidaan and All We Imagine As Light. Everybody had to choose their five [preferences], and on the last day, Laapataa Ladies made the cut. It came as a surprise because we thought Vaazhai may top the list until then.”

While netizens strongly felt that Kapadia’s gem would have a better shot at winning India its maiden Oscar for Best International Feature Film, Fernandes is confident that Rao’s heartfelt comedy—revolving around two brides who get mistakenly swapped and find their sense of self in a new environment—has the potential.

“It’s a feel-good film with an impactful message. Besides the story and screenplay, the director needs to be applauded for eliciting [wonderful] performances from all the artistes, especially the newcomers. Laapataa Ladies will definitely make a mark.”

Sparsh Shrivastava, who plays a mild-mannered husband desperately searching for his lost bride, says the theme of women finding their identity has resonated across cultures.

“I am fortunate to have been a part of a film that sends such a strong message to the world. Playing a character like Deepak, who respects women and is devoted to his wife, [is gratifying]. That is also me. I have grown up under my mother’s guidance. From Kiran directing the film to being around so many women was a beautiful feeling. When you are around women, you learn a lot,” he says. 

With Laapataa Ladies being Oscar-bound, lead actor Pratibha Ranta hopes it encourages Indian filmmakers to back more of such stories. “[When reading scripts], I am always asking, ‘What is the social message that the film is putting across?’ Where I come from, cinema is consumed [from the viewpoint of] inspiration and information.”