As a seasoned cinephile who has witnessed the Indian film industry evolve over the past few decades, I find myself increasingly disheartened by the Film Federation of India‘s (FFI) seemingly arbitrary decisions when it comes to selecting our country’s entry for the Oscars. This year, Hansal Mehta’s poignant critique of their choices resonated deeply with me.
Kiran Rao’s movie “Laapataa Ladies” was submitted as India’s entry to the Oscars 2025 in the Best International Feature Film category. However, it didn’t make the final cut when the shortlist was announced recently. Now, filmmaker Hansal Mehta has criticized the Film Federation of India (FFI) for their choice in selection.
On December 18, 2024, I, as a lifestyle enthusiast, expressed my thoughts on X (previously Twitter) regarding the shortlist for the International Feature category at the 97th Academy Awards. Unfortunately, Laapataa Ladies, India’s entry, did not make the cut. In jest, I wrote, “The Film Federation of India has once again demonstrated their uncanny knack for selecting films that are nothing short of exceptional year after year.
Have a look at the tweet!
Many people found themselves agreeing with Hansal Mehta’s feelings and believed that Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light” could have been a more fitting selection instead. One user remarked, “AWIAL remains an unrealized possibility.
To put it simply, for those not already familiar, AWIAL emerged victorious as the top pick at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. It has also earned nominations for the Golden Globe Awards, the Critics’ Choice Awards, and garnered multiple accolades from various critics groups.
Ricky Kej, a Grammy-winning artist, expressed on X that while he found the film Laapataa Ladies to be well-made and entertaining, he believes it was not suitable to represent India in the category for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars. His exact words were: “The @TheAcademy Oscars shortlist is out. #LaapataaLadies is a great movie (I enjoyed watching it), but I think it was the wrong choice to be our country’s entry in this category. As anticipated, it did not win.
He went on saying, “It seems we’ve been making the same mistake over and over again… each passing year… It’s high time we acknowledge this: we’ve been selecting the wrong films. There are countless outstanding movies out there, and it should be us taking home the #InternationalFeatureFilm award every single year!
Kej expressed, “Regrettably, we’re trapped within the ‘Mainstream Bollywood’ bubble, limiting our vision to films we personally find enjoyable. Instead, let’s seek out excellent movies produced by dedicated filmmakers, regardless of their budget or fame. What truly matters is creating great artistic cinema.
Laapataa Ladies
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2024-12-18 11:38