After Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies was named India’s official entry for the 2025 Oscars, social media saw an outpouring of reactions, with many users expressing that Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, despite winning at Cannes, had been unfairly overlooked. The 12-member jury responsible for the selection was chaired by Assamese filmmaker Jahnu Barua. Barua recently explained why Laapataa Ladies was chosen.
When questioned about why Kiran Rao’s film outperformed others on the shortlist, Barua told The Indian Express, “The jury must choose a film that truly represents India across all dimensions. It is essential that the film embodies India’s social structure and cultural essence. The element of ‘Indianness’ is crucial, and Laapataa Ladies excelled in this regard.”
Barua further explained, “It is essential that the film chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars is the most suitable representation of the country. There may have been a better film beyond the 29 that were nominated, but the jury can only work with the films they are given.”
Describing the deliberation process, Barua shared, “We spent 7-8 days in Chennai, viewing all 29 films submitted to us. During this time, we engaged in thorough discussions about each film. Every jury member had strong opinions, and we kept the conversation ongoing. We constantly debated, analyzed, and narrowed down the options before arriving at the final selection. In fact, reaching a consensus only took half a day since we had been discussing the films continuously.”
Barua also reflected on the experience, saying, “It was an exciting and passionate journey. It’s not something everyone gets to experience, and it brought me great joy. Every jury member was involved out of their love for Indian cinema.”
When asked why only 29 films were shortlisted, Barua explained, “We need to address this issue and find a solution. There should be a system in place that does justice to the quality of films produced in Indian cinema. Shouldn’t we be selecting the best film possible?”
Barua also shared that he didn’t feel any pressure while handling this responsibility. “Not at all. It’s really up to the jury members. We have to maintain a strict approach, ensuring the selection process remains unbiased. Each member has to use their judgment to choose the best film. The jury’s leadership also plays a crucial role, and I ensured that no outside interference or influence affected my jury,” he stated.