Hansal Mehta slams FFI’s ‘strike rate’ as Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies exits Oscars 2025 race

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta and Grammy-winning composer Ricky Kej quickly criticized the Film Federation of India (FFI) after India’s official entry for the 2025 Oscars, Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, failed to make the shortlist for Best International Feature.

Mehta sarcastically mocked FFI’s “strike rate and selection of films year after year,” sharing the shortlist on his X handle late Tuesday night. He captioned it, “Film Federation of India does it again! Their strike rate and selection of films year after year is impeccable.”

Many users on X supported Mehta’s criticism. One user quipped, “Indian films Laapata!” while another pointed out that Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, a strong contender, wasn’t selected. A third user recalled how Bandit Queen was excluded in 1995 due to censorship delays, allowing Kuruthipunal to be picked instead.

Ricky Kej also shared his thoughts on Laapataa Ladies, posting the film’s posters on his X handle. He acknowledged that the film was well-made but criticized it as the wrong choice for the Oscars. “When are we going to realize… year after year… we are choosing the wrong films?”

Kej wrote, adding that India should consistently win in the International Feature category. He lamented that mainstream Bollywood films dominate the selection process, while truly artistic cinema, whether low or high budget, often gets overlooked.

Despite praise for Laapataa Ladies, the film did not make it to the shortlist of 15 features vying for a spot in the final five for the 2025 Oscars. On the other hand, Santosh by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, representing the UK, did make the list, along with films from countries like France, Brazil, and Canada. The final nominations will be announced on January 17.

The FFI had selected Laapataa Ladies in September from a pool of 29 films, including popular ones like Animal and Aattam, and critically acclaimed All We Imagine As Light.