Kiran Rao's much-acclaimed Laapataa Ladies, a film, light-hearted yet impactful comedy, has been officially selected as India's entry to the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. 

Laapataa Ladies was chosen in September as the Indian Oscar contender and has already seen a title change on its official poster. The poster, which was unveiled on Tuesday, has the title in English as Lost Ladies- a shift from the Hindi title Laapataa, which means “lost.”

Star actor Nitanshi Goel took to the social media platform, posting the updated poster and writing: "Introducing #LostLadies: a glimpse of the wild heartfelt journey of Phool and Jaya. Starring alongside Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, and Chhaya Kadam, and featuring a special appearance by Ravi Kishan!

 

According to the chairman of the Film Federation of India, Jahnu Barua, Laapataa Ladies was special among 29 Indian films -12 Hindi, six Tamil, and four Malayalam- vying for honors in this stiffly competitive competition.

This year’s competition was fierce, featuring prominent films like Animal, Kalki 2898 AD, Joram, Sam Bahadur, and the National Award-winning Malayalam film Aattam.

“I am deeply honored and delighted that our film Laapataa Ladies has been chosen as India's official entry to the Academy Awards. This recognition is a testament to the tireless work of my entire team, whose dedication and passion brought this story to life. Cinema has always been a powerful medium to connect hearts, transcend boundaries, and ignite meaningful conversations. I hope that this film will resonate with audiences across the world, just as it has in India." said Director Kiran Rao.

Laapataa Ladies, Rao's first film under Aamir Khan's production house, opened its first Indian release in theatres on March 1. It quickly won the hearts of critics and audiences due to its compelling story paired with fresh performances. With word-of-mouth buzz helping to expand its reach, the film received widespread acclaim for both its humor and depth.

Now, set to leap the Oscars, the team feels that it would be great if the universal themes of Lost Ladies struck a chord across the globe and brought forth the very heart-wrenching and thought-provoking slice of Indian cinema.