The Film Federation of India president reveals that the jury felt Aamir Khan-produced Laapataa Ladies was more native in its nature, whereas Payal Kapadia’s Cannes Grand Prix (Jury Prize) winner was deemed more like a foreign film.
By Mayur Lookhar
Each year, the Film Federation of India is entrusted with the task of picking India’s official representation to the Oscars. It’s only human nature to expect a difference of opinion over their choice. This year, the FFI-appointed jury picked the Kiran Rao directorial Laapataa Ladies as India’s official representation to the Oscars. While the Bollywood film is a quality production, a few have expressed shock over the snub to Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light (2024). The international co-production, made in Malayalam, Hindi, and Marathi, and set in Mumbai, had competed in the main category at the Cannes Film Festival this year. While it didn’t win Best Film, All We Imagine As Light was awarded the Grand Prix (Jury Prize) at the French Riviera.
An appreciation from Cannes is significant, but that doesn’t guarantee an Oscar.
Amidst the criticism over the snub to All We Imagine As Light, Ravi Kottarakara, FFI president, has downplayed any talk of bias towards All We Imagine As Light.
Speaking to Beyond Bollywood, Kottarakara said, “This difference of opinion happens every year. Each year, the FFI jury comprises people from different crafts, so that we get a variety of views. This year, we had 29 films in consideration. The feedback the FFI committee received was that Laapataa Ladies felt more native in nature. Women in ghunghat (veil) is something common to India. Most jury members picked Laapataa Ladies as India’s representation to the Oscars this year.”
Though it tanked at the box office, the Kiran Rao directorial was critically acclaimed, both locally and internationally (once it aired on Netflix).
Kottarakara revealed that the jury had shortlisted five films—two Hindi, two Tamil, and one Malayalam—to be India’s official representation to the Oscars. Apart from Laapataa Ladies, the other films in the fray were the Rajkummar Rao-starrer Srikanth, Tamil films Vanzhai and Thangalaan, and Malayalam film Ullozhukku. Kottarakara asserted that Malayalam film Aattam, which was named Best Feature at the National Awards, and Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light were among the 8-10 films in consideration, but missed out in the final five.
Commenting on why All We Imagine As Light missed out, the FFI president said, “It’s not that we only look for positive films. A film can have a negative storyline as well. However, the feedback we received from the jury was that All We Imagine As Light came across more like a foreign film.”
All We Imagine As Light is an international co-production featuring firms from France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and India. Kottarakara clarified that this was not a factor, as the Payal Kapadia directorial was very much in consideration. He, however, had this to say: “This film is primarily a French production, but it wasn’t picked by even France to be its official entry to the Oscars. They chose a native film. Similarly, we picked a film with more nativity as our official representation to the Oscars.”
When it won the Jury Prize at Cannes, Academy Award-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty had posted on social media how Kapadia is one of those former FTII students who were targeted during Gajendra Chauhan’s controversial reign as chairperson of the prestigious institute. Chauhan had then told us that he wasn’t aware of her identity, but she was one of those students who had locked FTII chairman Prashant Pathrabe in a room.
Politics has its place, but after speaking to Kottarakara, it would be naive to think external factors played any part in All We Imagine As Light losing to Laapataa Ladies.
Meanwhile, it’s a moment of joy for Aamir Khan Productions again, as Laapataa Ladies is the third film from the marquee production house to be picked as India’s official representation to the Oscars. The previous two films were Lagaan (2001) and Peepli Live (2010). The former made it to the final nominations at the Oscars, but the latter didn’t go too far.
As Indians, one can be assured that Aamir Khan will leave no stone unturned in screening Laapataa Ladies to a sizable number of Academy Awards jury members.
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