Exclusive! FFI president on Laapataa Ladies’ Oscar chances after Golden Globes prefers All We Imagine as Light – Beyond Bollywood

Payal Kapadia’s film receiving a Golden Globes nomination despite being snubbed by the FFI once again raises questions about the choice of India’s official entry to the Oscars. FFI President Ravi Kottarakara reminds us that the criteria for the Oscars are different and Laapataa Ladies fits the bill accordingly.

By Mayur Lookhar

Selecting a film as the country’s official representation to the Oscars has often proven to be a difficult task in a multi-ethnic country like India. Adding to this are the pressures of media, social media, leaving the Film Federation of India under constant scrutiny. This year, the FFI (Film Federation of India) selected Aamir Khan Productions’ Laapataa Ladies as India’s official entry to the Oscars. While there is no denying that the Kiran Rao directorial is a damn good film, the choice divided opinions, with some reckoning that filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light was the better option.

A few months later, the FFI’s choice is increasingly being questioned, especially after All We Imagine as Light was nominated in the Best Foreign Feature category by the Golden Globes jury. Payal Kapadia’s film is an international co-production shot in Malayalam, Hindi, and Marathi. Beyond Bollywood reached out to a source closely associated with the Golden Globes, who informed us that, unlike the Oscars—where a trade body of a country selects the film—any producer can submit their film for the Golden Globes after paying a certain fee, following due process, and fulfilling the required creative criteria.

“All We Imagine as Light has foreign producers, and I believe one of them submitted the film. While there are jury members in India, films are nominated after being viewed by a wide section of the jury worldwide,” said a reliable source. 

All We Imagine As Light (2024) is an international co-production involving production companies from France, India, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy. The film won a Special Jury prize at Cannes this year.

Did Golden Globes consider Payal Kapadia’s film as an Indian representation? 

The source replied, “No, that’s not how it works. Essentially, all non-English films are considered for Best Foreign Language category.” 

The source remained tight-lipped about whether producer Aamir Khan had submitted Laapataa Ladies for consideration at the Golden Globes. Meanwhile, another source close to the Bollywood production house claimed that Kiran Rao had submitted her film to all major international awards.

So, we have a situation where a film rejected by the FFI is nominated by the Golden Globes, whereas India’s official entry to the Oscars is perhaps not even considered by the Golden Globes jury. Back in 2002, Aamir Khan’s Lagaan (2001) was nominated in the Best Foreign Film category at both the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. Does Laapataa Ladies not being picked by the Golden Globes undermine its chances at the Oscars? Has the FFI jury perhaps blundered by favouring Laapataa Ladies over All We Imagine as Light?

Kottarakara disagrees and points out the difference in the way the Golden Globes and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences operate.

“If you see, the Golden Globes and Oscars tend to have different nominations. The thought process of the Oscars and Golden Globes is slightly different. In the open category, it is perhaps easier to select a film. But for Best International Feature, people look from a different purview. They (Oscars) look with a microscopic view, where a film should represent a little bit of the heritage and culture of that country,” explained Kottarakara.

The FFI president cited the example of Iranian cinema, which often finds appreciation from the West. Similarly, in the context of Laapataa Ladies, it is Indian culture that tilted the scales in its favour, in particularly the ghunghat (veil).

Kottarakara explains, “You don’t find Western people wearing ghunghat. It is not there in South India, but in North India. It is so nice that a small ghunghat could change the life of two married couples. And that is the culture in India. Last thing, she, Jaya/Pushpa Rani (Pratibha Ranta), likes to study and wants to go about her life in a certain way.”

Sticking with FFI’s decision, Kottarakara says, “It is not an individual who selects a film, it is a committee. All We Imagine as Light was in contention too. Many people liked Laapataa Ladies, many liked All We Imagine as Light.”

He adds, “The beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. It depends upon the members who sit and select. A person who watches the content sees it through a different thought process and selects the content. Personally, I liked both the films. Hopefully, both films will make a mark at their respective competitions.”

We certainly hope for the same, but God forbid, if Laapataa Ladies misses out on an Oscar nomination and All We Imagine as Light makes it, then going forward, perhaps the FFI would have to rethink its thought process and align more with Western sensibilities or the respective jury. After all, these prestigious awards are organized by Western bodies. If you want to win their awards, you’ve got to think like them.

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