Exclusive: Kiran Rao On Laapataa Ladies As A Reflection Of Indian Cinema's Global Growth

Kiran Rao's directorial Laapataa Ladies is once again on the top of our watch lists after it was picked as India's official entry for the Oscars. Speaking to NDTV, the proud filmmaker said she believes the global audience will connect to the film despite its setting and across cultural divides.

"I think that the film touches upon such universal themes that I am very hopeful that it will cut across any kind of cultural barriers, language, the idea of rural and urban, and appeal as a story of the sisterhood, a story of women, a story of looking after each other. I feel like it's a story of hope. So, I feel that globally as well there's a lot that perhaps people will connect to in the film," Kiran Rao said in an interview shortly after the announcement.

Does the popularity of Laapataa Ladies show a growing audience internationally for Indian films, even set in a rural backdrop? "I do think that the more authentic and rooted and organic the films are, the more they appeal to the international audience because they truly give you a window of insight into a different culture, into also what are sometimes very shared problems or concerns for us as global citizens. I do think that even though the film is very particular to India, perhaps particular to this little village, it still speaks I think the language of shared hopes for women and progress," said the 50-year-old filmmaker.

Directed by Kiran Rao and produced under the banners of Aamir Khan Productions, Kindling Pictures, and Jio Studios, Laapataa Ladies was released in theatres on March 1, 2024. The film features a completely new cast - Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, and Chhaya Kadam - ably supported by veteran actor Ravi Kishan.

Laapataa Ladies is a film about two brides who are inadvertently exchanged during a train journey. The plot, set against rural India in 2001, unfolds as their husbands embark on a quest to find their true brides, leading to a series of unexpected twists and turns.

Laapataa Ladies was picked up for the Oscars 2025 from a competitive list of 29 films, including movies in different languages, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam, among others.