Spotlight on two female-directed movies in India

Laapataa Ladies and All We Imagine As Light might have a shot at winning Academy Awards, a rare prospect for the country

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One is a deft comedy about the misadventures of two young brides in rural India. The other is a delicate tale about the intersecting lives of three women in cosmopolitan Mumbai.

And both films might have a shot at winning Academy Awards - a rare prospect for a country that produces more than 1,000 movies a year, but has found the topmost industry honours hard to come by.

With small budgets and unconventional plots, Laapataa Ladies (2024) and All We Imagine As Light (2024) have captivated audiences.

That both were directed by women and have female-centric themes has become an additional point of pride in India, where the frothy romps of male-dominated Bollywood are a large part of the cinematic landscape.

Directed by Kiran Rao, Laapataa Ladies - renamed Lost Ladies for its Oscar campaign - has had a hugely successful run in the Indian market since its March release, and is now streaming on Netflix.

All We Imagine As Light, directed by Payal Kapadia, won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in May. It was released in Indian theatres in November, and opened on Nov 15 in New York and Los Angeles. It is currently available in theatres in Singapore via independent cinema The Projector.