Despite the global popularity of Bollywood, Indian films have had limited success at the Academy Awards, with just 10 wins since 1957. Kiran Rao hopes to change that with Lost Ladies (Laapataa Ladies in Hindi), India’s official entry for Best International Film at the 2025 Oscars. The film arrives at a significant moment for South Asian cinema, where women’s stories are finally taking center stage.
Lost Ladies is a comedy-of-errors set in rural India, where two newlywed women are mistakenly swapped by their husbands due to their similar veils. Through humor, the film navigates the women’s personal journeys of self-discovery, challenging traditional gender norms and expectations surrounding marriage and womanhood. As Rao explains, the story follows the women not only as they attempt to return to their homes but also as they find their voices and purpose.
This marks India’s first entry in the international film category since the 2001 nomination of Lagaan, a film where Rao worked as an assistant director. Despite increased Asian representation at the Oscars, South Asian films have remained largely underrepresented. Rao hopes Lost Ladies will open the door for more stories from India and create greater recognition for female filmmakers.
Since its release, Rao has used Lost Ladies for social outreach, screening the film in rural Indian communities where cinema access is limited. The film aims to inspire women with new ideas and solutions, offering a gentle critique of patriarchal structures without casting judgment on the choices women make—or are forced to make—in their lives.
While focusing on the specific challenges faced by women in small-town India, Lost Ladies addresses universal issues such as identity, agency, and the daily struggles and triumphs of women. Rao acknowledges that even on the global stage, women remain underrepresented in most industries, particularly in decision-making roles. The Oscars themselves have faced criticism for lacking diversity, with only a handful of women having been recognized in key categories like Best Director.
Rao’s film arrives at a promising time for South Asian female filmmakers. Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light won the 2024 Cannes Film Festival’s Grand Prix, and the UK’s Oscar entry, Santosh, directed by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, also tells a powerful story about a woman’s experience in rural India.
“It’s a special moment for women from India,” Rao says. “Our time has come, and I hope it’s the start of many more stories from India by women. We’ve been quiet for too long.”
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