'Indian life is full of chaos. So it captures the cultural chaos quite beautifully and lightly.'
As soon as Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies was announced as India's entry to the Oscars, a section of the film fraternity had reservations about it.
The film was selected by a 13-member committee of the Film Federation of India, headed by Director Jahnu Barua, who has given us celluloid masterpieces like Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai (1987), Firingoti (1992), Xagoroloi Bohu Door (1995), Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Mara (2005), Konikar Ramdhenu (2003), Baandhon (2012) and Ajeyo (2014).
Barua tells Subhash K Jha why Laapataa Ladies was selected and not the Malayalam film, All We Imagine As Light, that seems to be everyone's favourite.
"Whoever has been saying this, they should see the film (All We Imagine As Light) first. Then they should make comments, otherwise it is uncalled for," he says.
"You see, there are certain criteria for selection when it comes to the Oscars. This is not the National Awards. It's not only about quality. The selected film has to represent India. So Laapataa Ladies is the right film to represent India.
"Secondly, it carries the Indian ethos. Indian life is full of chaos. So it captures the cultural chaos quite beautifully and lightly. We hardly realise that behind that chaos, there's a lot of happiness also. We need to look at it from all aspects before selection.
"The Oscars have their own regulations for the Best International Film. As a country's representation, Laapataa Ladies fits in."
Commenting on the other films short-listed for the Oscar entry, Barua says, "We have viewed 29 films. It is a package provided to us by the Film Federation Of India. If we try to look at the historical facts, we make the largest number of films in the world. Getting to select 29 from that is a huge and difficult process.
"The FFI has done a good job because, it is very difficult to make a package when we do not have that kind of procedural system.
"We cannot call them the 29 best Indian films. We can say they are the 29 which had the most potential to make it into the world platform. There are many films that maybe left out. They did not apply. The FFI and the entire film fraternity needs to be concerned about that. They need to educate film-makers about how this (submitting a film for consideration) is done."
