Chhaya Kadam breaks silence on no-women jury controversy for Oscars 2025
- Chhaya Kadam, a film connoisseur, emphasized the importance of gender-neutral selections.
- Kadam expressed joy over the film’s selection and believes it will increase viewership.
- “Laapataa Ladies” was selected from 29 films, including Kadam’s “All We Imagine As Light.”
Kiran Rao’s “Laapataa Ladies” submission to the Oscars 2025 sparked controversy due to the absence of women on the selection jury. Many internet users criticized the Film Federation of India for describing Indian women as a “strange mix of submission and dominance” while explaining their choice of “Laapataa Ladies”. Amid the backlash, Chhaya Kadam emphasized that the most crucial aspect was having connoisseurs make these decisions, regardless of gender.
In a recent conversation with a private news channel, Chhaya Kadam shared her straightforward view, stating, “We’re filmy people. Film connoisseurs must make these selections, regardless of whether they are male or female. Understanding the film is what matters most, and nothing is more important than that.”
The “Madgaon Express” actress expressed her joy over the selection of “Laapataa Ladies”, starring Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, and Nitanshi Goel, as India’s official entry for the 97th Academy Awards. She shared her excitement about the honor, saying she believes it will give more people the opportunity to watch the film.
“But yes, I truly believe that Laapataa Ladies ko Oscar milna chahiye aur andar se lag raha hai ki aisa hi hoga (LL should be honored with Oscar, and I have a gut feeling that it will happen).”
“Laapataa Ladies” was selected from a list of 29 films, including Chhaya Kadam’s “All We Imagine As Light”, which didn’t make the cut. Reacting to this, the veteran actress expressed that both films are like her children, and she was equally excited about each. She remained confident that her Cannes-winning film would eventually make it to the Oscars.
Aamir Khan Productions and Kindling Productions made “Laapataa Ladies”, which was screened at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023, where it received a standing ovation from the audience. It was later released in theaters and eventually streamed on Netflix.
