Monday was a day of celebration for the cast and crew of Kiran Rao directional Laapataa Ladies. The Film Federation of India (FFI) announced the film had been selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars 2025 in the Best Foreign Film category.
However, on Tuesday, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar producers Sandeep Singh and Anand Pandit, actress Ankita Lokhande Jain and production house Legend Studio released a joint post on Instagram claiming that the biopic has been selected by the FFI to represent India at the Oscars.
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The social media post featured the poster for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, and was titled “Officially submitted for the Oscars 2024,” which would be incorrect, as submissions for the Academy Awards are for the year 2025.
However, in an exclusive interaction with Hindustan Times, FFI president Ravi Kottakara clarified that Swatantrya Veer Savarkar was not selected as India’s submission and that the producers have been misinformed.
"They have given some wrong communication (sic). I am going to release a statement about it as well. Only Laapataa Ladies has been sent for Oscars from India officially," Kottakara said.
When HT City contacted co-producer Pandit, he insisted that they had been selected.
“I didn’t know when the film was submitted; I was told about it on Monday. Going to the Oscars is a big milestone. I am, of course, very happy,” he said.
The film's director, Randeep Hooda, who also portrayed Savarkar on screen, is yet to issue any statement on the matter.
Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is a biopic of controversial Indian social reformer and activist Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The film was criticised by opposition parties as BJP propaganda.
