A film from India's hinterland challenged conventions, capturing hearts and minds. But does its Oscar entry hold up under scrutiny, or are emotions overshadowing reason in the selection process? Monojit Lahiri does a checkout… 

The film Laapataa Ladies (LL), a groundbreaking cinematic triumph, defied expectations with its women-centric narrative set in India’s hinterland. Now selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars, LL sparks debate: can this small-budget film, hailed for its strong performances and unique storytelling, stand alongside legendary Oscar nominees like Lagaan and Salaam Bombay? With word of mouth driving its success, LL challenges industry norms and celebrates marginalized voices, but does it have the cinematic depth to win an Academy Award? This gripping discussion underscores India’s emotional investment in the global recognition of its homegrown cinema.

A Surprising Success That Defied Expectations

First things first: that LL stormed the hearts and minds of our country’s intelligentsia when it was released last year is an undeniable fact. Delight and surprise were all-pervasive, with an audience base astonished and seldom ambushed by the “Eureka” factor in this fashion. A small-budget, zero-star, new-actor-driven film set in the hinterland and comprehensively women-centric, LL dared to challenge the ruling commandments of the industry by giving voice to the ignored, neglected, and marginalized. It proved that their life and times can be utterly fascinating. Raking in far more than its modest budget, LL was undisputedly last year’s biggest surprise, with word of mouth doing the trick and making friends and influencing people by the truckload. A charming, sensitive, well-scripted, directed, and performed film, LL truly made discerning audiences sit up and take notice.

The Oscars Debate: A Worthy Choice or Overhyped?

So far, so good. But is the recent move to select it as India's official entry for the Oscars valid, sane, or justified? Or, as usual, are we getting carried away by the critical and popular applause that has come its way? Do we truly believe it will join the tiny club of Gandhi, Salaam Bombay, Lagaan, or Slumdog Millionaire, or is the heart ruling the head, passion drowning reason, and testosterone ignoring history?

As always, there are differing voices. One school of thought insists that India, being an emotional country, believes LL is the perfect choice for the Oscars due to its seamless fusion of local roots with a global vision. Its style and substance, they say, are bound to resonate with every human being who has their heart in the right place. Not all agree. The other side is convinced that we’ve goofed again. They cite examples of Lunchbox losing out to the obscure The Good Road, or Gully Boy zooming past Super Deluxe. The tradition continues. Did Payal Kapadia’s vocal stance against the establishment, and its very limited exposure in movie halls, have anything to do with it?

Others insist that the Oscars are not the National Awards or an India-based film fest award. We’re talking about the best of the best in the foreign language category. Are our honourable jury members aware of world cinema? Have they watched the award-winning films from recent years? A good, engaging story with good acting doesn’t automatically equal Oscar-winning material. This group emphasizes the importance of the cinematic language—audio, video, and light—where the real life of a film resides. These qualities make films rewatchable, like a favourite music album, and can help nudge even the xenophobic towards universal human tolerance.

At the end of the day, the controversy surrounding India’s official entry to the Oscars is here to stay. But the best films have always embraced the auteur theory, which declares the director as the real author of the film. In the Ladies versus Light face-off, it’s best to set aside the controversy and celebrate the Oscar-worthiness of two gifted and committed female filmmakers. With a fabulous cast of unknown actors, they’ve powered a unique cinematic language that made a difference.

Rivals, not enemies, these two films aced the male-driven blockbuster Animal, and that’s reason enough to light a candle.