Laapataa Ladies has been selected as India’s official entry for the 2025 Oscars in the Best Foreign Film category, the Film Federation of India (FFI) announced on Monday. The selection was made by a 13-member jury led by FFI Chairman Jahnu Barua. The film stood out among 12 Hindi, 6 Tamil, and 4 Malayalam entries, competing against a total of 29 films including notable names like Animal, Kalki 2898 AD, Maidaan, Sam Bahadur, Aattam (which won the National Award for Best Feature Film), and Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, a Cannes winner.

Directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Kiran Rao, Aamir Khan, and Jyoti Deshpande, Laapataa Ladies showcases a fresh cast featuring Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, Chhaya Kadam, and Ravi Kishan. The film is based on an award-winning story by Biplab Goswami, with screenplay and dialogues penned by Sneha Desai, and additional dialogues by Divyanidhi Sharma.

The movie had its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last year and was released in Indian theatres on March 1. Despite a modest box office performance, it gained a wider audience after its release on Netflix, with both critics and viewers praising its message and execution.

Recently, director Kiran Rao shared exciting news about the film's international release. Posting a clip from Laapataa Ladies on social media, she wrote, "Laapataa Ladies will be found in Japan from October 4, 2024. We are so excited for our theatrical release in Japan by Shochiku, Japan - arigato gozaimasu." The film explores the theme of women’s empowerment and critiques the patriarchal norms that stifle women’s aspirations post-marriage.

Laapataa Ladies has received largely positive reviews, with many lauding its strong feminist message. NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5, praising its light-hearted approach to serious issues. He noted, "Laapataa Ladies is a social satire with a pronounced feminist accent. The film is breezy and light on its feet, delivering its message without being weighed down by the important topics it addresses."

As India’s official Oscar entry, Laapataa Ladies is set to gain even more international attention, with hopes of representing the country on the world stage.