India's official entry 'Laapataa Ladies' out of Oscars 2025 race
New Delhi (PTI): "Laapataa Ladies", India's official entry in the Best International Feature category at the 97th Academy Awards, is out of the Oscars race.
The Hindi film, directed by Kiran Rao, is not part of the shortlist of 15 features that will be vying for a spot in the final five, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced on Wednesday morning.
However, British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri's "Santosh", starring Indian actors Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar, representing the UK, has made it to list that also includes France's "Emilia Pérez", "I'm Still Here" (Brazil), "Universal Language" (Canada), "Waves" (Czech Republic), "The Girl with the Needle" (Denmark), and "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" from Germany.
The other contenders in the category are "Touch" (Iceland), "Kneecap" (Ireland), "Vermiglio" (Italy), "Flow" (Latvia), "Armand" (Norway), "From Ground Zero" (Palestine), "Dahomey" (Senegal), and "How to Make Millions before Grandma Dies" (Thailand).
The final Oscar nominations will be announced on January 17.
According to the Academy, 85 countries or regions had submitted films that were eligible for consideration in the International Feature Film category for the 97th Academy Awards.
"Santosh", which marks Suri's feature directorial debut, revolves around a newly widowed housewife (Goswami) who inherits her late husband's job as a police constable and becomes embroiled in the investigation of a young girl's murder.
India's official entry "Laapataa Ladies" ("Lost Ladies" in English) is a gently subversive feminist drama which is set in rural India in the early 2000s. Sneha Desai wrote the screenplay and dialogues of "Laapataa Ladies", based on a story by Biplab Goswami. Divyanidhi Sharma penned additional dialogues.
It follows two brides who get swapped on the day of their wedding during a train ride. It stars Nitanshi Goel and Pratibha Ranta as the brides Phool and Jaya, respectively, with Sparsh Shrivastav playing the hapless groom in search of his wife.
Chhaya Kadam, Ravi Kishan, and Geeta Agrawal Sharma also round out its cast.
"Laapataa Ladies", which had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), released in theatres on March 1 to great reviews. It is backed by Rao's Kindling Productions, Aamir Khan Productions, and Jyoti Deshpande of Jio Studios.
In September, the Film Federation of India (FFI) unanimously chose "Laapataa Ladies" as India's official entry to the Oscars from a list of 29 films, including Bollywood hit "Animal", Malayalam National Award winner "Aattam" and Cannes winner "All We Imagine As Light".
At the time, the 13-member all-male jury of FFI courted controversy on social media for their citation about the film. Many on social media said the brief went against the message the film was trying to convey.
The citation by the federation read: "Indian women are a strange mixture of submission and dominance. Well-defined, powerful characters in one world, a Laapataa Ladies (Hindi) captures this diversity perfectly, though in a semi-idyllic world and in a tongue-in-cheek way."
Besides "Santosh", "Anuja" is another film with an Indian connect that has advanced to the next stage of the Oscars. It is one of the 15 films to be selected in the Live Action Short category.
The New Delhi-set short film follows a gifted nine-year-old Anuja, who must make a choice between education and factory work alongside her sister - a decision that will shape both their futures. It stars Sajda Pathan and Ananya Shanbhag.
"Anuja" is directed by Adam J Graves and Suchitra Mattai, and has two-time Oscar winning producer Guneet Monga on board as executive producer and Hollywood star-writer Mindy Kaling as producer.
On Wednesday morning, the Academy also announced shortlists in eight other categories: Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Animated Short Film, and Sound and Visual Effects.
"Lagaan", set in the pre-independence era, was the last Indian film to enter the top five nominations in the best international feature film category (formerly called best foreign film) at Oscars 2002.
Only two other films have previously made it to the final five and they are the Nargis-starrer "Mother India" and Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay!"
Last year, "Naatu Naatu", the peppy, foot-tapping chartbuster from SS Rajamouli's Telugu period action film "RRR", won the Academy Award in the best original song category along with "The Elephant Whisperers", directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Monga's Sikhya Entertainment, winning the Oscar in the Best Documentary Short Film category.
Late night host and comedian Conan O'Brien will host the Academy Awards on March 2 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, Los Angeles.
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MP HC sets up judicial commission to probe water contamination in Indore
Indore (PTI): The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday set up a commission of inquiry comprising a former HC judge to probe the issue of water contamination in city's Bhagirathpura, saying the matter requires probe by an independent, credible authority and "urgent judicial scrutiny".
It also directed the commission to submit an interim report after four weeks from the date of commencement of proceedings.
A division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi constituted the commission while hearing several public interest litigations (PILs) filed simultaneously regarding the deaths of several people in Bhagirathpura due to the consumption of contaminated water.
The HC reserved the order after hearing all the parties during the day, and released it late at night.
The state government on Tuesday told the HC that the deaths of 16 people in Indore's Bhagirathpura area was possibly linked to a month-long outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The government presented an audit report of 23 deaths from the current gastroenteritis epidemic in Bhagirathpura before the bench, suggesting that 16 of these fatalities may have been linked to the outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The report, prepared by a committee of five experts from the city's Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, stated that the deaths of four people in Bhagirathpura were unrelated to the outbreak, while no conclusion could be reached regarding the cause of death of three other people in the area.
During the hearing, the high court sought to know from the state government the scientific basis behind its report.
The division bench also expressed surprise at the state government's use of the term "verbal autopsy" in relation to the report, sarcastically stating that it had heard the term for the first time.
The HC expressed concern over the Bhagirathpura case, stating that the situation was "alarming," and noted that cases of people falling ill due to contaminated drinking water have also been reported in Mhow, near Indore.
In its order, the HC said the serious issue concerning contamination of the drinking water supply in Bhagirathpura area allegedly resulted in widespread health hazards to residents, including children and elderly persons.
According to the petitioners and media reports, death toll is about 30 till today, but the report depicts only 16 without any basis or record, it said.
It is averred that sewage mixing, leakage in the pipeline, and failure of civic authorities to maintain potable water standards have led to the outbreak of water-borne diseases. Photographs, medical reports, and complaints submitted to the authorities prima facie indicate a matter requiring urgent judicial scrutiny, the HC said.
"Considering the gravity of the allegation and affecting the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the need for an independent fact-finding exercise, the Court is of the opinion that the matter requires investigation by an independent, credible authority," it said.
"Accordingly, we appoint Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, former judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, a one-man commission of inquiry into the issues relating to water contamination in Bhagirathpura, Indore, and its impact on other areas of the city," the HC added.
As per the order, the commission shall inquire into and submit a report on the cause of contamination -- whether the drinking water supplied to Bhagirathpura was contaminated; and the source and nature of contamination (sewage ingress, industrial discharge, pipeline damage etc).
The panel will also probe the number of actual deaths of affected residents on account of contaminated water; find out the nature of disease reported and adequacy of medical response and preventive measures; suggest immediate steps required to ensure safe drinking water as well as long-term infrastructural and monitoring reforms.
It will also identify and fix responsibility upon the officers and officials found prima facie responsible for the Bhagirathpura water contamination incident, and suggest guidelines for compensation to affected residents, particularly vulnerable sections.
The commission shall have powers of a civil court for the purpose of summoning officials and witnesses; calling up records from the government department, hospitals, laboratories and civic bodies; ordering water quality testing through accredited laboratories; conducting spot inspections.
All state authorities involving district administration, Indore Municipal Corporation, public health engineering department and Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board shall extend full co-operation and provide records as sought by the commission, it said.
The state government shall provide office space, staff, and logistical support to the commission, it said.
During the hearing in the day, the state government also presented a status report to the court in this matter.
According to reports, a total of 454 patients were admitted to local hospitals during the vomiting and diarrhea outbreak, of whom 441 have been discharged after treatment, and 11 are currently hospitalised.
According to officials, due to a leak in the municipal drinking water pipeline in Bhagirathpura, sewage from a toilet was also mixed in the water.
