Laapataa Ladies Is Not In The Oscar Race Anymore?
Dec 19, 2024, 23:01 IST
A Promising Start
‘Laapataa Ladies’, directed by Kiran Rao, provided Indian viewers with a sweet and affectionate movie of two village brides showing what happened to them during the incredible train ride. Starring Pratibha Ranta, Nitanshi Goel, and Ravi Kishan, the new version of the movie sure appealed to the Indian audience for its true representation of comedy and social issues of the country. As it attained both box office and critical success, it became India’s entry to the Oscars for the Best Foreign Language Film category. However, its journey was cut short, for it didn’t make it to the final nominations of any film.
The Oscar Challenge
In any case, Indian cinema’s association with the Oscars has always been enmeshed in contradictions. Firdausul Hasan, President of FFI, mentioned the complexity of the submission procedure. He pointed out a few reasons, like how the technique has advanced in moviemaking over the years or the fact that filmmakers are often reluctant to send in their entries having further possibilities for India’s failure. While appreciating Laapataa Ladies for being very Indian, critics pondered that its narrative pattern and feel were not suiting the refined taste preferred by the Academy.
Industry Voices and Public Reactions
People returned to the topic on social platforms, with industry leaders saying they were let down. Hansal Mehta, who was extremely miffed about the system, said that the biggest travesty was the selection and cancellation process, while Grammy-winning musician Ricky Kej asked filmmakers in India to look beyond the business aspect and focus on art. The movie’s posters, including doodle and comic font aged posters, were rejected because it was too frivolous for academia.
A Broader Reflection
Girish Wankhede explained on the same that it was high time Indian cinema learned to format its storytelling like the global cinema while still being Indian. Pertz’s Roma and Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite are the subtlety of narratives Oscar winners, forms unexplored in most Indian films yet.
The Road Ahead
Although this is a setback, there is still hope. This is flattering, according to filmmakers like Jahnu Barua, who think that the Oscars are just around the corner for India. When such basic tenets are being learned and slowly adapted into the industry, perhaps a blend of the traditional Indian style of narrating a complete story and the world’s preferred cinematic style may just pave the way for Indian cinema to get its due recognition.
Thus, Laapataa Ladies remains an instance of India’s vibrant practice that would like to make the Oscars dream but does not forget the process, too.
