Aamir Khan Reacts To Laapataa Ladies' Oscars Snub, Compares It To Mughal-e-Azam: 'Don’t Take It Seriously'
Aamir Khan discussed the omission of Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies from the Oscars shortlist, noting the subjective nature of film selection and the tough competition.
Aamir Khan is one of the few actors in Indian cinema who understands what it takes for a film to make a mark at the Academy Awards. His film Lagaan, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, is the last Indian entry to reach the top five in the Best Foreign Film category. Since then, India has come close a few times, but hasn’t made it. When it was announced that Laapataa Ladies, directed by Kiran Rao, would be India’s official entry to the Oscars, many people felt this could be the year for Indian cinema. There was also some controversy over Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light not being chosen by the Indian jury. In the end, Laapataa Ladies did not make it to the Oscars’ shortlist and dropped out of the race.
At an event organised by ABP Network, Aamir Khan discussed the omission of Laapataa Ladies from the Oscars shortlist and whether anything had gone wrong with the film. He said, “It was a beautiful film, and there was no shortage on fronts." Aamir noted that nearly every country can submit entries for the Oscars. “Even this time, there were almost 80-85 entries from different part of the world, and everyone sends in their best film, right? In fact, this category has the toughest competition in the Oscars."
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Aamir said that liking a film is subjective, and getting into the Oscars depends on this and the selection panel. He mentioned that other films might be ones the panel liked more. “Honestly, we have to understand that there are other language films that might have been genuinely better, or let me put it this way… films that the members liked better. It doesn’t mean we weren’t good… and it just means the members liked the other films better than ours. This is a very subjective decision," he said.
He went on to add, “Okay, now you tell me which is the better film between Mother India and Mughal-e-Azam? Which film had better acting? How would you compare? That’s why I am saying it is all subjective. It isn’t like a race where the start point and end point is the same. Filmmaking and creative medium, in general, are very different. These are very personal choices, and very difficult to choose. So, don’t take it too seriously."
Laapataa Ladies is a film directed by Kiran Rao that mixes humor with social commentary. It tells the story of two women who suddenly go missing in a small town, causing chaos and confusion.
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