Although it did not receive an Oscar nomination, Kiran Rao’s feature film Laapataa Ladies has now been nominated for a Japan Academy Film Prize. The movie was well received by viewers when it debuted in theaters in Japan in October and ran for 100 days. It is now a nominee for the Japan Academy Film Prize 2024’s coveted Best International Film category. Laapataa Ladies shares nominations in the category with Alex Garland’s Civil War, Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. At the Japan Academy Film Prize presentation on March 14, the winner will be declared.
Laapataa Ladies, which was directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Rao, Aamir Khan, and Jyoti Deshpande, is about two young brides who are switched while traveling by train to their husbands’ houses. Starring in the movie are Ravi Kishan, Chhaya Kadam, Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, and Nitanshi Goel. Laapataa Ladies did not qualify for the Oscars 2025 Best International Feature shortlist. According to the producers, “Laapataa Ladies (Lost Ladies) did not make it to the Academy Awards shortlist this year, and we are of course disappointed, but equally we are immensely grateful for the incredible support and belief we’ve received throughout this journey.”
