Soon after Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies was announced as India’s official entry to the Oscars in 2025, several netizens took to social media to discuss how Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light had been ‘robbed’ of the opportunity, despite a Cannes win. The 12-member jury that made this decision was headed by Assamese director Jahnu Barua. Barua recently delved into why Kiran Rao’s film was selected as the official entry.
When asked why Laapataa Ladies trumped the other films on the shortlist, Barua told The Indian Express, “The jury has to look at the right film that represents India on all fronts. Particularly, the film has to represent India’s social systems and ethos. The Indianness is very important, and Laapataa Ladies scored on that front.”
He added, “It is important that the best-suited film, which represents India, is sent as the official entry to the Oscars. There could be a better film outside the 29 films that were nominated too. But the jury can only choose from what they have been given, right?”
Speaking about how long the deliberation process took, Barua said, “We were in Chennai for 7-8 days, and we were watching the 29 films that were sent to us. Throughout this period, we used to have in-depth discussions about the films. Each and every jury member had strong opinions, and we kept the conversation going. We were in constant discussion about the films, studying it, shortlisting it, and finally coming up with one name. The final discussion to reach a consensus only took half a day or so because we were constantly in conversation about the films.”
“It was an exciting and passionate experience. It is something that doesn’t happen to everyone, and it made me very happy. Everyone who was part of the jury was in it for the love of Indian cinema,” he added.
When asked why only 29 films made it to the shortlist, Barua said, “That is what we need to find a way out. We need to have a system in place to do justice to the kind of films coming from Indian cinema. Shouldn’t we be sending the best possible film?”
Barua mentioned that he did not feel any pressure while shouldering this responsibility. “Not at all. Actually, everything depends on the jury members. We have to follow a strict kind of approach and ensure no influence seeps in the selection process. Each of us has to apply our own mind and select the best. It also depends on the kind of leadership in a jury, and I never allowed any interference and influence in my jury,” he said.
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