Netizens Slam FFI As Laapataa Ladies Fails to Make It To Oscars Shortlist: 'Those people Are Idiots, Need To Be Fired'

‘Laapataa Ladies’ failure to make it to the Oscars shortlist has reignited criticism of the Film Federation of India’s selection process.

India’s official entry for the Best international Feature Film category at the 2025 Oscars, Kiran Rao’s ‘Laapataa Ladies’, has failed to make it to the Academy’s shortlist. This announcement, made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), sparked frustration among cinephiles and reignited criticism of the Film Federation of India’s selection process. The quirky comedy, set in rural india, revolves around the chaos caused by two young brides who go missing during a train journey. While the film received critical acclaim in india, it couldn’t compete with the likes of I’m Still Here (Brazil), Universal language (Canada), and The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany), among others that cut. 

Controversy around selection

 The exclusion of 'Laapataa Ladies' has fueled widespread debate, with many arguing that Payal Kapadia’s Cannes-winning 'All We Imagine As Light' (AWIAL) would have been a stronger contender. netizens have heavily criticized the Film Federation of india (FFI), accusing it of undermining India’s chances at the Oscars by opting for a film they believe lacked universal appeal. 

Netizens slam FFI

Grammy-winning artist Ricky Kej expressed his disappointment on social media, tweeting, “So, the @TheAcademy Oscars shortlist is out. #LaapataaLadies is a very well-made, entertaining movie (I enjoyed it), but was the wrong choice to represent india for the best #InternationalFeatureFilm category. As expected, it lost. 

When are we going to realize.. year after year.. we are choosing the wrong films?There are so many excellent movies made, and we should be winning the #InternationalFeatureFilm category every year! Unfortunately, we live in a "Mainstream Bollywood" bubble, where we cannot look beyond films that we find entertaining. Instead, we should just look for good films made by filmmakers who are uncompromising in their art..low budget or big budget.. star or no star.. just great artistic cinema. Below is the poster of #LaapataaLadies, I am sure most academy voting members dismissed the film just by looking at these.” 

Social media reactions echoed Kej’s sentiments. One user sarcastically commented, “Guess what is Missing or Laapata from the Oscars shortlist. Future lesson for that confederacy of dunces of Film Federation of india committee - An oscar campaign for your beloved desi film can't start in October. All We Imagine As Light had a direct path to an oscar nod.” 

Another tweeted, “A shattering humiliation for India. A calamitous defeat for the Film Federation that could be seen coming from afar. If the only measure of success is to make choices that make you competitive, they have utterly & entirely failed. FFI needs an overhaul & people need to be fired.”

Film enthusiasts voiced their frustration over FFI’s decision-making process. “Indian oscar committee always does that. At least for now, 4 times india rejected an easy nominee The Lunchbox, The Disciple, RRR, and now All We Imagine as Light. Those people are idiots,” wrote a fan. 

Another tweet read, “FFI snubbed AWIAL, destroying our chances to be on the list. The Film Federation of india requires a full revamp. The ones who are there now should step down and let others who understand and know the art of cinema take over.” 

Highlighting All We Imagine As Light’s international accolades, a user pointed out,“‘AWIAL’was deserving… already selected in Critics Choice and Golden Globe.”

Another lamented, “Lol. Laapataa Ladies out! Maybe the Academy didn’t find it very Indian, like how our committee d…