'Laapataa Ladies' is India's Oscar entry, not 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar': FFI chief

'Laapataa Ladies' is India's official entry to the Oscars, and if any other person claims differently, a legal notice will be issued to them, said Film Federation of India president Ravi Kottarakara.

Talking to The Federal, Kottarakara said that the FFI, which is the official body that selects India's official entry to be sent to the Oscars every year in the Best International Feature category, has already announced that 'Laapataa Ladies' is the country's submission for the 2025 Academy Awards.

There is no confusion on this, he stressed. "We can only send one official entry from India and that is what we have been doing since 1956, so where is the question of any other film in the picture?" he asked.

When asked why film producer Sandeep Singh announced on social media that his Randeep Hooda-starrer 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar' had been officially submitted for the Oscars and thanked the FFI for it, Kottarakara brushed it aside as "ignorance". 

"Either they are ignorant of the process or they have submitted their film directly to the Oscars in some other category," he said, acknowledging that he is in the dark about their submission. The producers of the Veer Savarkar film could have sent their entry independently and directly to the Oscars, he pointed out.

But, if they continue to insist then we will have to send them a legal notice, he added. "We have also screened 'Laapataa Ladies' in a theatre in the US, where it has to run uninterruptedly for one week and fulfilled the condition for the Oscars," he pointed out.

Earlier too, in 2022, when Gujarati film 'Chello Show' (Last Film Show) was India’s official entry, SS Rajamouli sent his blockbuster movie 'RRR' independently to the 2023 Academy awards and went on to win in the Best Song category. 

'Laapataa Ladies' directed by Kiran Rao is a delightful comedy drama about two brides getting swapped on the day of their wedding during a train ride and the chaos that ensues. It was chosen from a list of 29 films, which included the likes of Malayalam film, 'Aatam', Cannes winner ‘All We Imagine As Light’ and Bollywood commercial films like Ranbir Kapoor's 'Animal'.

Meanwhile, 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar' is a biopic on the life of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and his role in India's independence movement. Randeep Hooda essays the role of Savarkar in the film. Media reports quoting the producers of the film said that they had "submitted" the film to the Oscars without giving any other information.