India's Official Entry To Oscars 2025: Kiran Rao Optimistic About Laapataa Ladies, Payal Kapadia 'Fingers Crossed' For All We Imagine As Light

Kiran Rao and Payal Kapadia are hopeful that their respective films Laapataa Ladies and All We Imagine As Light will enter the 2025 Oscars. Both films highlight social issues, with the Film Federation of India set to announce its decision next week.

Hyderabad: As the race for India's official entry to the 2025 Academy Awards heats up, two films including Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies and Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light are drawing attention. Both filmmakers are hopeful their films will be chosen to represent the country in the prestigious international feature film category.

Kiran Rao, best known for her thought-provoking cinema, has expressed her dream of seeing Laapataa Ladies reach the Oscar stage. "It would fulfil a long-cherished dream if my film were selected," she told a news agency, though she acknowledged that the Film Federation of India (FFI) would ultimately pick the most deserving film. Laapataa Ladies, which was released in March 2024 to critical acclaim, tells the story of two brides in rural India in 2001 who are accidentally swapped during a train journey. Featuring Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, and Sparsh Shrivastav, the film emphasises gender equality and women's empowerment in rural settings.

Similarly, Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, which recently made history by becoming the first Indian film to win the Grand Prix award at Cannes, is also in the running. The film, which follows the lives of three women grappling with personal and societal challenges, has already been submitted to the FFI for consideration. Produced by actor Rana Daggubati’s Spirit Media, the film is being released across India, beginning in Kerala. Kapadia, however, remains grounded. "I'm not focused on the end result. It’s always a process, and we have to go with it,” she said.

With both films carrying strong narratives that highlight social issues, the competition to represent India at the Oscars is intense. The FFI is expected to announce its decision next week, as both filmmakers keep their fingers crossed for a chance to take their stories to the global stage.

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