Kiran Rao and Amir Khan’s slice-of-life film ‘Laapataa Ladies’ received widespread critical acclaim for its endearing and fresh narrative. FFI selected the film as India’s official entry to the Oscars 2025. In December 2024, the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences announced the 15 shortlisted titles for the International Features Film. India’s official entry, ‘Laapataa Ladies’ (Lost Ladies) missed the shortlist. This stirred a wave of disappointment and the backlash against FFI’s choice gained momentum. Industry stakeholders and netizens criticised the body for not selecting Payal Kapadia’s Cannes winner, ‘All We Imagine as Light.’ Following Kiran Rao, the film’s producer, Aamir Khan now reflects on the snub.
At the recent ABP event, Aamir Khan discussed ‘Laapataa Ladies’ exit from the Oscars shortlist. He deliberated on whether anything had gone wrong with the film. He said, “It was a beautiful film, and there was no shortage on fronts.” The actor-producer also emphasised the number of entries the Academy gets. “Even this time, there were almost 80-85 entries from different parts of the world. And everyone sends in their best film, right? In fact, this category has the toughest competition in the Oscars.”
Moreover, Aamir also talked about how subjectivity comes into play in artistic decisions. “Honestly, we have to understand that there are other language films that might have been genuinely better. Or, let me put it this way… films that the members liked better. It doesn’t mean we weren’t good… and it just means the members liked the other films better than ours. This is a very subjective decision.”
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He also gave examples to elaborate his stance. “Okay, now you tell me which is the better film between Mother India and Mughal-e-Azam? Which film had better acting? How would you compare? That’s why I am saying it is all subjective. It isn’t like a race where the start point and end point is the same. Filmmaking and creative mediums, in general, are very different. These are very personal choices, and very difficult to choose. So, don’t take it too seriously.”
In related news, Aamir Khan is currently busy working on ‘Sitaare Zameen Par.’