Aamir Khan Productions reacts to ‘Missing Ladies’ missing out on Oscar shortlist

India’s official submission for the 97th Academy Awards‘ Best International Feature Film category, “Laapataa Ladies,” directed by Kiran Rao, is no longer in the running for the Oscars. After being selected as India’s submission, the film created a lot of attention, however it did not reach the Academy’s shortlist.

In a statement issued after the news, the film’s creators expressed their regret and thanked the jury and fans for believing in the project.

“Laapataa Ladies (Lost Ladies) did not make it to the Academy Awards shortlist this year, and we are of course disappointed, but equally we are immensely grateful for the incredible support and belief we’ve received throughout this journey,” said the statement, which was released by Jio Studios and Kiran Rao’s Kindling Productions.

“We at Jio Studios, Kindling Productions, and Aamir Khan Productions would like to thank the Academy members and the FFI jury for their consideration of our picture. It is an honor in and of itself to be a part of this esteemed process with some of the best films from across the globe. We really appreciate the love and support that our film has received from viewers around,” it said.

Despite not making the Oscar shortlist, the filmmakers expressed their optimism for the future and praised the films who made it to the top 15.

“We congratulate the teams of all the top 15 shortlisted films and wish them the very best in the next stages of the awards.”

“This is a step forward, not the end, for us. It went on to say, “We are still dedicated to creating more compelling tales and spreading them around the globe.

“Laapataa Ladies” was chosen in September by the Film Federation of India, under the direction of Jahnu Barua, from a list of 29 films in various Indian languages, including the National Award-winning “Aattam” and Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine As Light.”

“Laapataa Ladies” is no longer in the running, but Sandhya Suri’s British-Indian film “Santosh,” starring Shahana Goswami, is still a contender to be the UK’s official submission.

In addition, India has some optimism at the Oscars since Guneet Monga’s live-action short film “Anuja” has been shortlisted.