India’s Oscar Entry ‘Laapataa Ladies’ Falls Short
"Hansal Mehta Criticizes FFI's Selection Process After Film Misses Shortlist"
This year, India selected Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies as its official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars. However, the film has now been eliminated from the Oscars race. While users expressed their frustration with the Film Federation of India (FFI), filmmaker Hansal Mehta took a dig at FFI’s “track record” of selections.
Reacting to the elimination, Hansal Mehta criticized the FFI’s process of selecting films for the Oscars over the years. He shared a list on his X (formerly Twitter) handle of the 15 films shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. Unfortunately, Laapataa Ladies did not make the cut. Taking a jab at FFI, Mehta sarcastically wrote, “The Film Federation of India has done it again. Their strike rate and annual film selections are truly remarkable.”
Film Federation of India does it again! Their strike rate and selection of films year after year is impeccable. pic.twitter.com/hiwmatzDbW
— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) December 17, 2024
Mehta’s post sparked a wave of comments from users. One user wrote, “The jury should be ashamed of themselves. Who will be held accountable now?” Another quipped, “Indian films missing in action.”
The incident has reignited debates about India’s approach to Oscar submissions and the effectiveness of the FFI’s selection process.
