An exciting yet bittersweet turn of events in the Oscars 2025 race for the International Feature Film category: Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, produced by Aamir Khan, did not advance to the next round. The Academy announced its shortlist of 15 films for the next stage of voting, and Laapataa Ladies was not among them. However, Guneet Monga’s live action short film, Anuja has kept India’s hopes alive at the Academy Awards.
Incidentally, Laapataa Ladies was chosen by the Film Federation of India (FFI) as India’s official entry in September from a pool of 29 films submitted across various Indian languages. The film had been drawing attention for its fresh storyline set in rural India, tracing the lives of two women, Rukmini and Lajjo, who are left stranded in a far-off railway station. Here, in the film Laapataa Ladies, women are not shown as competitors or as adversaries but as a family where one woman lifts up the other even when circumstances seem to bring them down. This is not typical of most mainstream cinemas where women are set against women as rivals or competitors. This refreshing film shows how women can actually work together, share experiences, and even rise above adversities when they support one another.
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The strength of Laapataa Ladies lies in the strong message it gives about sisterhood and solidarity—a theme that goes beyond the usual female rivalry depiction. Rukmini and Lajjo are not just two characters stuck in a bad situation; they represent the universal struggle of women trying to navigate a patriarchal society. Their relationship becomes an example of how women can stand together, break norms, and get beyond societal barriers.
By focusing on the supporting relationship between the two women, Kiran Rao’s direction encourages the audiences to rethink the stereotype that women are each other’s adversaries. This message comes especially in a society where women are expected to be rivals within workplaces, families, and even relationships. In that regard, Laapataa Ladies give a view of females who, despite facing great challenges, empower themselves, especially in their power toward confronting the future problems before them.
Indian tradition and culture show their values in films related to how they make women strong in endurance as well as resilience with various tests. From figures such as Mata Sita, who stood by her husband, Lord Ram, amidst a myriad of personal tests, the contemporary portrayal of Phool in Laapataa Ladies goes up to the contemporary understanding and shows how women stand with endurance despite various tests in every step.
These women do not take hardship but rather do so with a very deep faith in their devotion to their loved ones and families. Phool’s character shows exactly how a woman’s love and loyalty to her family are more important than the notion of leaving them behind when things get troublesome. She believes in waiting for the one she loves rather than giving up on her marriage. This shows that the Indian woman is resilient, binding together the family.
The world, as it exists today, is changing very fast and the influence of Western culture often leads to discussions over women walking out of marriages or families in pursuit of personal freedom; Laapataa Ladies offers a contrast. The film advocates for the idea that instead of walking away from family or relationships, women can stand strong, supporting each other and preserving the bonds that hold families together. This stands as a critique of the modern world’s tendency to prioritize individualism over collective family ties. The fact that Phool is unyielding about love and sacrifice in a society where women are under pressure to give in to more individualistic ideals is an ironic counter-narrative. Laapataa Ladies is the epitome of the beauty of sacrifice and love of women in a time that celebrates abandoning commitment.
Laapataa Ladies did not progress to the final round, but it is still culturally significant. Indian cinema is rich in its Oscar nomination history. Past films that have made their way to the Oscars include Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay! (1988), and Lagaan (2001). None of these films actually won the coveted award but were instrumental in bringing Indian cinema to the world stage. Lagaan is particularly notable in the sense that it has been nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.
This shows how Indian stories have universal appeal. Of course, more recently, films like The Lunchbox (2013) and Gully Boy (2019) gained international recognition, although no Oscar nominations were garnered in this regard. These films showcase what can be achieved by Indian cinema in terms of the cultural boundaries of storytelling. Laapataa Ladies might not be shortlisted but would certainly have contributed to the tradition through the presentation of the freshness and power that can be perceived through the bonding that cements the families.
Anuja still in the fray for Oscars
Meanwhile, Guneet Monga’s Anuja, a live-action short film has been shortlisted for its candid picture of the hardships that are experienced under child labor in garment industries—an intense statement about exploitation and human rights. In just a few minutes, Anuja opens the world of child labor and tells the story of a young girl caught in a cycle of oppression. The power of the film lies in its simplicity, as Monga manages to pack a deeply emotional punch in such a short runtime. Like Laapataa Ladies, Anuja addresses concerns that the world faces seriously, and the film never forgets that cinema also plays a significant role in the change that it strives for.
And finally, though Laapataa Ladies is out of the Oscar race, its themes on love, sacrifice, and solidarity among women continue to resonate. The movie serves as a contrast to the present-day narration where individualism rules; here, it promotes women as strong people who do not easily deviate from family values and society. It brings in the cultural reflection that most Indian women have shown by upholding the notion of love and sacrifice down through centuries. The film is a reminder that actual empowerment comes not from walking away from relationships but from the strength to remain, support, and uplift one another.