Aamir Khan-produced Laapataa Ladies OUT from Oscars 2025 race

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday released the 15-film shortlist for the 2025 Oscars' international feature film category. While global favourites like Emilia Pérez and From Ground Zero secured spots, India's official entry, Lahpata Ladies, was conspicuously absent. The exclusion of the Aamir Khan-produced, Kiran Rao-directed Hindi film has reignited debate over India's Oscar strategy. 

Aamir Khan-produced film Lahpata Ladies out of 2025 Oscar race 

Backlash against Film Federation of India selection 

The decision to send Lahpata Ladies as India's official participant sparked controversy earlier this year, with many arguing that Cannes-winning director Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Right was a stronger contender. Criticism of the Film Federation of India (FFI) intensified after Lahpata Ladies was not included in the final list. One social media user expressed dissatisfaction, adding, "FFI has ignored AWIAL and ruined our chances of making the list. The Film Federation of India needs to be completely restructured," while another added, "It's a devastating humiliation for India. If the only measure of success is making decisions to be more competitive, you have totally failed." 

Kiran Rao's Lapata Ladies, about two swapped brides in rural India in the 1990s, was well received by critics. The cast included veteran actors Ravi Kishen and Chhaya Kadam, along with newcomers Sparsh Srivastava, Pratibha Ranta and Nitanshi Goel. 

Meanwhile, All We Imagine As Light, an exploration of the working class in Mumbai, has been a constant presence at international awards ceremonies. It won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and was also nominated for a Golden Globe and a Critics' Choice Award. 

Though Lapata Ladies did not make it through to the next round, there was some good news for Indian cinema: Santosh, a British Hindi film directed by Sandhya Suri and starring Indian actresses Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwal, has been named to the Oscar shortlist as Britain's official entry.