The Film Federation of India has officially announced this year’s pick for the 97^th Academy Awards in 2025. ‘Laapata Ladies’ is nominated for the Best Foreign Film Category. It is a Hindi-language comedy-drama film reflecting social issues, directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan.

The film portrays the story of two young brides who get exchanged during a train journey to their husband’s homes.

Direction, Production, and Cast

Produced by Kiran Rao, Aamir Khan, and Jyoti Deshpande, the film features talented and well-known casts, including Nitanshi Goel as Phool Kumari, Pratibha Ranta as Jaya, Sparsh Shrivastava as Deepak Kumar, Ravi Kishan as Shyam Manohar, Geeta Agrawal Sharma as Yashoda, Chhaya Kadam as Manju Maai, Pankaj Sharma as Deepak’s father, Satendra Soni as Chhotu, Abeer Sandeep Jain as Bablu, Rachna Gupta as Poonam, and many more.

Storyline

The film is set in 2001 in rural India. It follows the adventurous tale of two newlywed brides who accidentally found themselves exchanged during a train journey to their husband’s home. Eventually, this mix-up leads them on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment.

It highlights the major challenges and societal expectations faced by women in rural India. The film got massive recognition for its engaging narrative, strong performances, and a blend of humor and social commentary.

Achievements and Earnings

The film was premiered at the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2023. On March 1, 2024, it was released in Theatres. Laapata Ladies has shown resilience, benefitting from word-of-mouth publicity and unique promotional strategies. Despite facing tough competition, the film has managed to maintain a steady performance over several weeks. The movie has made INR 17.33 crores as a total box office collection and crossed INR 25.26 crores worldwide.

India’s Achievements in Oscar in Previous Years

• Mother India: Directed by Mehboob Khan, Mother India was the first Indian film to be nominated for Best Foreign Language at the 30^th Academy Awards in 1958. It is a powerful drama film that tells the story of a resilient woman who struggles to raise her sons and survive against the odds in rural India.
• Salaam Bombay: Directed by Mira Nair, it is the second film nominated at the 61st Academy Awards in 1989 as a Best Foreign Language Film. The film provides a raw and poignant depiction of the lives of street children in Mumbai, focusing on their struggles with poverty, drugs, and survival.
• Lagaan: Lagaan featuring Aamir Khan, was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 74^th Academy Awards in 2002. The film was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. It was the only third Indian Film to receive an Oscar nomination in this category. The film depicts the story of a historical sports drama set in the late 19^th century. It involves a group of villagers who challenge the British rule in a cricket match to avoid paying high taxes.