The Film Federation of India (FFI), an NGO of producers, distributors and studio owners founded in 1951, faced backlash for selecting Kiran Rao’s film . Ms. Lapata as India’s official submission for the Oscars in the Best International Feature Film category.
choice rapataa Chosen from a competing list of 29 films, it surprised many who were expecting Payal Kapadia Everything we imagine is light represent the country. Kapadia’s film made history by becoming the first Indian film to compete at the Cannes Film Festival in three decades, and ultimately won the Grand Prix, the festival’s second-highest prize. Given that last year’s Grand Prix winner Jonathan Glazer area of interestIt subsequently won the Academy Award for Best International Film, but there was a problem with jury selection.
After the jury saw the report Everything we imagine is light than “less Indian” Ms. LapataFFI Chairman Ravi Kottarakara is known as India Hollywood Reporter“The jury said they were watching a European film shot in India rather than an Indian film shot in India.”
‘Indianness’, according to Kottarakara Ms. Lapata Derived from its central plot, it tells the story of two brides who unexpectedly swap husbands while riding a train. When one of the husbands mistakes the other woman for his wife, the two women end up switching partners as both wear veils, hiding their identities. (Gulhart It is a fabric that covers a woman’s entire face, hiding her identity and, in turn, her modesty. Although considered by many to be outdated, the custom is still prevalent in some parts of northern India.
Everything we imagine is lightMeanwhile, it follows the story of two Malayali nurses who embark on a road trip to the beach and grapple with the loneliness and alienation of living and working in the hustle and bustle of modern Mumbai.
Narrated by Ira Bhaskar, film scholar and former dean, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi THR India FFI’s Decision Choice rapataa Exceed Light Because the former’s focus on traditional Indian cultural practices is wrong. “The comment says [Laapata Ladies] Because of ghooghat, learn more about India and other traditional practices is an Orientalized view,” she said. “I don’t think we should align ourselves with that. Put it this way Everything we imagine is light Feeling more European or looking more European is a strange comment. I think the value of a movie should be based on its cinematography.
FFI is announcing its selection Ms. Lapata. “Indian women are a strange mixture of submission and dominance,” the first line reads.
Ms. Lapata Screenwriter Sneha Desai urged a wider interpretation of FFI’s statement after many on social media called it sexist. “I don’t think the quote clearly indicates the position of the association as a whole or the jury,” she told India’s largest news agency Press Trust of India (PTI). “I would like to give them a presumption of innocence… Yes, they could have been a little bit [more] Be careful, but I don’t want to read too much into this.
When asked about the statement, Kotalakara felt it had been misunderstood. “them [the jury] Hopefully it’s positive,” he said. “We say women are like Goddess Lakshmi [goddess of wealth and good fortune] and cali [goddess of time, death and violence]. [They are] Like Lakshmi, who always blesses you, and like Kali – they can hurt you anytime.
But Shrayana Bhattacharya, author Desperately Searching for Shah Rukh: Lonely Young Women in India and the Search for Intimacy and Independencequestioning the simplified description of FFI Ms. Lapata. “India’s power elite—whether in media, policy, culture—can only view women’s issues and gender narratives as neat binaries,” she said. THR India. “So women have to be the perfect victim or the perfect hero: a champion executive gold medalist or a victim, a heroic image of male dominance or a pathetic image of submissive victimhood. Real life happens somewhere in between. Sadly. What’s wrong is that a brilliant film that celebrates India’s messy gender norms and social change is framed in precisely the binary-oriented tropes of submission and domination that it seeks to overcome.
Others highlighted the lack of diversity at the FFI and the all-male membership of the selection committee may have contributed to the controversial wording. Filmmaker and musician Joshua Sethuraman posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Great to see so many women on the committee! No wonder why [statement] It goes against the movie itself.
Journalist and critic Namrata Joshi was less forgiving, asserting in a post on [statement] This is the weirdest interpretation of an Oscar pick Ms. Lapata. The level of disdain for women in general is so high, forget about Indian women alone. Was this written by a man suffering from a superiority complex? What does “a strange combination of submission and dominance” mean? attack!
Apart from the controversy surrounding the announcement, noted film critic Bharadwaj Rangan pointed out that there are practical issues with choosing India to officially participate in the Oscars. “Submitting a film for the Oscars depends not only on whether the film is good, but also on whether the producer has the funds/desire/expertise/connections to mount an expensive Oscar campaign. Ms. Lapata Perfect choice,” he posted on X.
While renowned production houses like Aamir Khan Productions and Yash Raj Films — International, La Pata Woman The same goes for publishers who have the means and experience to support their participation in Oscar campaigns. Everything we imagine is light. Spirit Media, the production company founded by actor and producer Rana Daggubati, has acquired Indian distribution rights and has struck additional deals to distribute the film in key foreign territories, Everything we imagine is light It will become one of the most widely released Indian independent films of the year (Janus Films and Sideshow are distributing the film in the United States).
“We work with Everything we imagine is light Because we loved the story and the incredible craftsmanship that Payal, the cast and the entire team brought to the screen,” said Daggubati THR India. “After winning global acclaim and love, it will be a huge honor for this film to represent India at the Oscars. We remain very committed to bringing it to audiences across the country and look forward to the journey ahead in India and abroad. This is an important moment worth celebrating Ms. Lapata. I wish Kiran and the entire team all the best on the exciting journey ahead.
This is not the first time FFI’s selection has sparked controversy. In 2013, despite the international acclaim for Ritesh Batra’s products, lunch boxOntology selected Gyan Correa’s drama good road. Recently, 2022, SS Rajamouli’s global hit deposit reserve ratio Snubbed by Pannerin Chhello Show (last movie screening).
India has been submitting films to the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film competition since 1957 and has been nominated three times – for Mehboob Khan indian mother (1957), Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay! (1988) with Ashutosh Gowariker river (2001)—but the country has never won an Oscar in that category.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the nominees for the 2025 Oscars in multiple categories on December 17, including Best International Feature Film. Held on Sunday, March 2nd.
