Chhota Bheem, Animal, Kalki 2898 AD: How Laapataa Ladies came to compete with ‘bizarre’ contenders in Oscars race

As the euphoria around Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies being selected as India’s official entry for the 2025 Academy Awards receded, many wondered which were the other contenders the film beat. India is the most prolific producer of films in the world and each year, thousands of films in dozens of languages release in theatres, many getting acclaim too. But as the long list of contenders for the Oscar nod emerged, many were left awestruck by some of the more bizarre entries in there. (Also read: FFI slammed for calling Indian women ‘strange mixture of submission and dominance’ in Laapataa Ladies’ Oscars citation)

The 28 films that competed with Laapataa Ladies

The Film Federation of India (FFI) is a private body that has been entrusted to select India’s official entry for the Oscars for years now. On Monday, while announcing that they had selected Laapataa Ladies, the federation also released a list of 28 other films that were in the running. These included some other hot favourites like Payal Kapadia’s Cannes Grand Prix-winning All We Imagine As Light and National Award-winning film Aattam. However, several ‘bizarre’ entries caught people’s attention, the chief among them being Chhota Bheem and the Curse of Damyaan

How did Chhota Bheem and the Curse of Damyaan enter the Oscars race

The FFI invites entries from all filmmakers who have released their films in India during the qualifying period for that years Oscars. A fee (reportedly over ₹1 lakh) is required to get the film up for consideration. This effectively means that the long list is invitational and open in which any film can make it. That is how Chhota Bheem and the Curse of Damyaan entered the race and memes galore. Many social media users shared the list, pointing out that the critically-panned film was competing against some highly-acclaimed films. “The audacity to send Chhota Bheem for the Oscar selections. Damn need this confidence in life,” read one tweet. Other entries that were deemed bizarre or controversial included Kalki 2898 AD, Animal, Kill, and Good Luck.

All about Laapataa Ladies

Directed by Kiran Rao, Laapataa Ladies stars newcomers Sparsh Srivastava, Pratibha Ranta, and Nitanshi Goel, alongside veterans Ravi Kishen and Chhaya Kadam. The film about two lost brides in 90s’ India was a commercial failure but received critical acclaim.