The Film Federation of India on Monday announced 'Laapataa Ladies' as the country’s official entry for the Best Foreign Film category at the 97th Academy Awards. The film, directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan, aims to spotlight significant social issues while representing Indian cinema on the global stage. The Academy Awards is scheduled to be held on March 2, 2025.

Selection Committee that chose ‘Laapataa Ladies’ has no women 

According to a document being circulated on social media, the panel that formed the Selection Committee to finalise India’s official entry for Oscars 2025 has no women. The members include - Mr. Jahnu Barua (Chairman) - Director, Mr. Manjunatha S. - Lyrics Writer, Mr. Santhosh Raman - Art Director, Mr. Subbiah Nallamuthu - Doc & Short Film, Mr. Ravi Jadhav - Producer, Director, Actor, Mr. G. P. Vijayakumar - Producer, Mr. Avinash U. Shetty - Actor, Director, Producer, Mr. Bobby Bedi - Producer, Mr. Umamaheshwar Rao - Journalist, Producer, Mr. Bhargav Purohit - Music, Mr. Praveen KL - Film Editor, Mr. Longinus Fernandes - Dance Director, Mr. D. Yuvaraj - Audiographer.