India has chosen Kiran Rao’s comedy of errors Laapataa Girls (Misplaced Girls) to signify the nation within the 2025 Oscar race within the Finest Worldwide Function class.
The Hindi-language movie, which premiered finally yr’s Toronto Worldwide Movie Pageant, beat out Payal Kapadia’s All We Think about As Gentle, which had been thought-about the frontrunner for the Oscar slot, after its rapturous reception in Cannes, the place it gained the competition’s Grand Jury prize.
However Rao’s characteristic has confirmed a crowd-pleaser on the competition circuit. The sunshine satire follows Jaya (Pratibha Ranta) and Phool (Nitanshi Goel): Two new brides, whose faces are hidden behind equivalent pink marital veils, each touring on the identical Indian cross-country rail automobile to their nuptials, who get by accident swapped and land on the unsuitable weddings, setting them on very totally different destinies. Yash Raj Movies picked up worldwide distribution rights to the movie, which bowed on Netflix India after its native theatrical launch.
Regardless of the nation’s lengthy and wealthy cinema custom, Indian movies have struggled within the Oscar race. Solely three Indian motion pictures have obtained a Finest Worldwide Function nomination, many years aside: Mehboob Khan’s Mom India in 1957, Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay! in 1988, and Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan in 2001. S.S. Rajamouli’s Telugu-language action-adventure epic RRR, launched on Netflix, was not put up for Finest Worldwide Function however made historical past for India final yr successful the Oscar for Finest Authentic Tune.
The deadline for submissions for the 96th Oscars is Nov. 14. The shortlist for greatest worldwide characteristic contenders can be introduced Dec. 17. Nominations can be introduced Jan. 17, 2025. The 2025 Academy Awards can be held on Sunday, March 2.