Kiran Rao‘s ‘Laapataa Ladies‘ has been selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars 2025, delighting the film’s team. However, some critics are questioning why Payal Kapadia‘s “All We Imagine As Light” was not chosen. Despite this, actor Sparsh Shrivastava wants to focus on the good news.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, actor Sparsh Shrivastava, who played Deepak Kumar in ‘Laapataa Ladies’, stressed the importance of celebrating the film’s achievement as it will represent India internationally.
The actor found out about Kiran Rao’s film going international while in his hometown of Agra. Since then, he has been smiling non-stop. Sparsh said when the news was announced he was at his hometown. He was in the middle of his conversation when his phone started buzzing continuously. His friends were calling him. He was getting calls from media friends. And then the film’s casting director Romil Modi called him.
Sparsh adds that when he answered his call, all curious, he said, ‘Brother, we are there at the Oscars’. Some days, they were discussing whether they would be able to go, or not. Then they were not sure about it. And when it finally happened, it was pretty magical.
The announcement of ‘Laapataa Ladies’ as India’s official Oscar entry has sparked a lively debate, especially regarding its selection over Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine As Light’. The actor noted he hasn’t seen ‘All We Imagine As Light’, but emphasised that Romil, the casting director for both films, should be celebrated for his work. He expressed the belief that it’s important to support the film representing the country.
‘Laapataa Ladies’ is set in the fictional state of Nirmal Pradesh in 2001. The story follows two brides who get accidentally swapped on a train. One ends up going home with the wrong groom, while the other is left alone at a railway station. It is based on a story by Biplab Goswami.