Laapataa Ladies being selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars earlier this week was heralded as a victory for the underdog by many. The small-budget film from Kiran Rao has no big name with three newcomers fronting it. In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, the film’s writer Sneha Desai opens up on the achievement and the road ahead.

Sneha says that Laapataa Ladies’ simplicity and its rooted Indian feel may just be a factor in its favour at the Oscars, which has historically preferred films that showcase the heartland. “We are so used to processing something which is so heavy on our senses, which is so difficult to comprehend, to understand, we feel that the more we make it intricate, the more we make it complicated, we'll be able to gain the attention of the audience and the viewers. At times like this, it is something as simple and profound as Laapataa Ladies that just kicks the ball out of the park. There is this beautiful fragrance of rural India that is associated with it. The visuals are something that they would not have seen before. You never know, it might just catch people's fancy, and we could feature in the long list.”

On Laapataa Ladies' regional ‘competition’

Laapataa Ladies was selected by the Film Federation of India (FFI) over 28 other Indian films, including several regional gems like Aattam, which won a National Award recently, and All We Imagine As Light, which won the grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Talking about beating such marvels, Sneha says, “There are too many beautiful gems from regional cinema that we are not in a position to judge because we've not seen them all. Some of them have not hit mainstream cinema. So, it is a very humble celebration that we're doing. There is immense pride that we selected, but at the same time, we truly do not know who our worldly competitors were. It's going to be the same at an international level, because every country is going to send the best of its cinema, and we just hope that they find our story just as compelling.”

More often than not, the official selection of films for the Oscars in India is met with some amount of controversy. Sneha agrees, “Announcements are met with mixed reviews. Most of the people bash the committee. Everybody has their own personal favourites. But this time, the overall sweeping reaction of people has been so warm and affectionate that the momentum is wonderful.”

On All We Imagine As Light

Some have, however, argued that All We Imagine As Light by Payal Kapadia may have been a stronger contender given its Cannes winner credentials. Sneha argues that the film can still be at the Oscars as an independent entry. “Maybe we could have two wonderful entries from India. Fingers crossed, if it can go as an independent entry or something. And I'd be very, very happy to cheer for them, just as much as I would be happy to cheer for myself,” she says.

To get into the long list and eventually, the nomination is a long road for Laapataa Ladies, which requires a ton of promotion and campaigning in the US. And while Sneha says it’s too soon to talk about a roadmap, she says there can be nobody better to helm that campaign than Aamir Khan Productions, who took Lagaan all the way to the final nominations in 2001. “Now over to the production to see how they want to go. But what better people than Aamir Khan Productions to handle it? Because he's seen the whole grind, and I think he's wiser after having taken Lagaan there. In that sense, I’m looking forward to this.”

Laapataa Ladies stars Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, and Nitanshi Goel alongside Ravi Kishen and Chhaya Kadam. The Kiran Rao directorial was a critical success even though it did not break the bank when it was released earlier this year.

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