Laapataa Ladies team on Oscar snub: This is not the end

After Laapataa Ladies did not make it to the Oscars nomination list in the Best International Feature Film category, the makers--Aamir Khan Productions, Jio Studios and Kindling Productions--issued a statement expressing their disappointment but also exhibiting their gratitude to the Film Federation of India, who sent the Kiran Rao-directorial to the Academy.

“Laapataa Ladies (Lost Ladies) did not make it to the Academy Awards shortlist this year, and we are of course disappointed, but equally we are immensely grateful for the incredible support and belief we’ve received throughout this journey,” read the statement. “We extend our gratitude to the Academy members and the FFI jury for considering our film. To be included in this prestigious process alongside some of the finest films from across the world is an honor in itself. Our heartfelt thanks to all the audiences around the world who have expressed their love and support for our film,” it added.

The makers also sent their best wishes to the nominees. “We congratulate the teams of all the top 15 shortlisted films and wish them the very best in the next stages of the awards. For us, this is not the end but a step forward. We remain committed to bringing more powerful stories to life and sharing them with the world,” the statement further read.

The Academy snub has again ignited the debate that Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, which has already won the Grand Prix at Cannes and has been nominated for Golden Globes, was a better contender from India for the Oscars. Filmmaker Hansal Mehta took to X to share the list of nominees and sarcastically wrote in the caption,”Film Federation of India does it again! Their strike rate and selection of films year after year is impeccable.”

Grammy Award-winning composer Ricky Kej also took to his X handle and shared a couple of Laapataa Ladies posters. He wrote a long note in the caption: “#LaapataaLadies is a very well made, entertaining movie (I enjoyed it), but was absolutely the wrong choice to represent India for the best #InternationalFeatureFilm category. As expected, it lost.”

Other films that have been shortlisted in the International Feature Films category are, I’m Still Here (Brazil), Universal Language (Canada), Waves (Czech Republic), The Girl with the Needle (Denmark), Emilia Pérez (France), The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany), Touch (Iceland), Kneecap (Ireland), Vermiglio (Italy), Flow (Latvia), Armand (Norway), From Ground Zero (Palestine), Dahomey (Senegal), How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (Thailand) and Santosh (United Kingdom).