‘Laapataa Ladies’ actor Chhaya Kadam reacts to ‘All We Imagine as Light’ snub

Internet is divided since the announcement of India’s official Oscar entry was made. Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao’s ‘Laapataa Ladies’ was chosen over several other films to compete at the prestigious platform. One of the films that was also up for selection was this year’s Cannes winner ‘All We Imagine as Light’.

Chhaya Kadam reacts to ‘All We Imagine as Light’ snub

Several social media users believe that Payal Kapadia’s film was way more deserving and should have been India’s official entry. Chhaya Kadam, who has acted in both ‘Laapataa Ladies’ and ‘All We Imagine as Light’ has reacted to the online controversy. The talented actor said in an interview that she is happy for ‘Laapataa Ladies’, but at the same time feels bad for her other film. She further added that she would have loved to see both the films in the Oscar race. Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light’ scripted history as it became the first Indian film to win Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival 2024.

Reason behind ‘Laapataa Ladies’ selection’

Talking about the decision to pick ‘Laapataa Ladies’ out of the 29 films, the 12-member jury head Assamese director Jahnu Barua said that the film has to represent India’s social systems and ethos. He emphasised that Indianness is very important, and ‘Laapataa Ladies’ scored on that front.

‘Laapataa Ladies’ citation controversy

Besides the film selection, there has been another controversy surrounding the Oscar entry of ‘Laapataa Ladies’. The Film Federation of India has described Indian women as a ‘strange mix of submission and dominance’ in the official document about ‘Laapataa Ladies’. The citation has gone viral on social media and netizens are pointing out that the 12-member jury responsible for this had not a single woman. Many even raised doubts that the summary was likely written by AI.

Also Watch: Kiran Rao's 'Laapataa Ladies' picked as India's entry for Oscars 2025