Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies may have missed out on an Oscar nomination but now the film has been named among the nominees for the 48th Japan Academy Film Prize under the Best Foreign Language Film category.
The film will be competing against Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things (2023), Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (2023), Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest (2023), and Alex Garland’s Civil War (2024). According to reports, the film was selected from among 204 international entries, making it a remarkable achievement for the film on an international stage.
Last year, Tom Cruise starrer Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One beat out Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, Christian Carion’s Driving Madeleine, and Todd Field’s Tár, for the award.
The winners of the Japan Academy Prize Award will be announced on March 14, 2025, at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo.
Laapataa Ladies misses out on a spot in the 2025 Academy Awards
In September 2024, Laapataa Ladies was selected as India’s official entry in the Best International Feature for the Oscar but failed to be named in the shortlist for the same. This led to immense backlash towards the Film Federation of India (FFI) for failing to select the appropriate film, many deeming Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light more worthy of competing.
Laapataa Ladies gained critical acclaim when it was released on streaming platform Netflix in March 2024. The film follows the story of two brides, Phool and Jaya, who are accidentally swapped on the train. Phool and Jaya are polar opposites, each highlighting womanhood and individuality in their own distinct way. The film was praised for its unique storyline and fresh cast. Bankrolled by Rao, Aamir Khan, and Jyoti Deshpande, the dramedy stars Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, Chhaya Kadam, and Ravi Kishan.
