Laapataa Ladies Writer Sneha Desai on Film Federation's Controversial Oscar Citation: 'They Could've Been More Cautious'

Sneha Desai, screenwriter of Laapataa Ladies, addressed the controversy over the Film Federation of India's citation for selecting the film as India's 2025 Oscar entry. Desai downplayed the backlash over the citation's wording, which some found clashed with the film's feminist themes, suggesting it may not reflect the jury's views.

Hyderabad: Laapataa Ladies screenwriter Sneha Desai has addressed the controversy surrounding the Film Federation of India (FFI)'s citation for choosing the film as India's official entry to the 2025 Academy Awards. Desai stated that while the wording of the citation was widely criticised online, she prefers to give FFI "the benefit of the doubt," suggesting the statement may have been drafted by someone other than the jury itself.

The all-male, 13-member jury of the FFI drew backlash for the citation, which some viewers found problematic, especially given the feminist themes of the Kiran Rao-directed film. The citation read: "Indian women are a strange mixture of submission and dominance. Well-defined, powerful characters in one world, Laapataa Ladies captures this diversity perfectly, though in a semi-idyllic world and in a tongue-in-cheek way." Social media users were quick to point out that this description seemingly clashed with the film's core message of empowering women in rural India.

In response, Desai emphasised that she wouldn't want to overanalyse the situation. "I think the citation is not a clear indication of what the entire association or jury stands for. Yes, they could have been more cautious, but I wouldn't want to read too much into it," Desai remarked.

Addressing the lack of female representation on the jury, Desai added, "For not having any woman member on the jury, I don't know how that decision was made, but despite that, it's wonderful that Laapataa Ladies was selected."

Despite the controversy, Desai expressed excitement over the film's Oscar selection. "We are extremely elated… It's just a very gratifying and wonderful feeling," she shared, adding that the cast and crew have been inundated with congratulatory messages.

Laapataa Ladies, set in rural India in the early 2000s, stars Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, Ravi Kishan, Chhaya Kadam, and Geeta Aggarwal Sharma.

READ MORE