‘Laapata Ladies’ Oscar-worthy, Hollywood lobby needs money: Payal Kapadia
Laapata Ladies’ Oscar-worthy, Hollywood lobby needs money: Payal Kapadia says in an Interview
‘All We Imagine As Light’ not fulfilling the criteria as India’s official Oscar entry, says director Payal Kapadia in interview with Hindustan Times
Director Payal Kapadia wakes up a global sensation after her film All We Imagine As Light wins the Grand Prix at Cannes 2024. But this little nugget wasn’t the first feather in the 38-year-old’s cap — her documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing also won L’Œil d’or (The Golden Eye) Award at Cannes 2021, to add to countless others. All We Imagine As Light is the Film and Television Institute of India graduate’s debut feature and she looks forward to seeing it on screens across India on November.
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With Kani Kasruti and Divya Prabha playing the roles of two cai, Malayali nurses — Prabha and Anu, respectively, and Chhaya Kadam being the bhai (the cook) as Parvaty, this film has a Mumbai setting to unfold the story of these three migrants. Payal Kapadia discusses Oscar contenders Laapata Ladies vs her film in this exclusive chat with Hindustan Times.
Laapata Ladies: A powerful Story of Finding ‘Shakti’ in Women
Laapataa Ladies is the adaptation of Biplab Goswami’s story ‘Two Brides’. The movie takes place in the time of pre-technology hit Bharat when essential technology was unheard of. Set upon three people- two brides and a groom, it shows how the life of those three gets affected when the groom mistakenly brings home the wrong bride.
The hilarious capture of the sequence of events involving confusion, stigmas, and societal reflections forms the essence of this film. It is a film running through the lives of two separate brides and ways they deal with the situation they end up in. There is honesty in the character building that lingers in the minds of the audience long after the film goes off.
The film stands out in the screenplay that never allows a dull moment and keeps the audience gripped. The humour clubbed with a strong social message alleviates a simple plot. Neha Desai’s work as a screenplay and dialogue writer will be etched in the audience’s memory for a very long time. Also, director Kiran Rao has done an exemplary job in creating such a film. She never digresses from the plot and keeps things simple. No unnecessary moments or over-boarding of messaging takes away the core of the film.
The cinematography also is one to savor. The moments of rural Bharat along with the station and railway scene capture in itself the rustic charm of the Bharatiya landscape. The scenes are shot beautifully. Locations have been taken from reality as well, which adds up to the film’s tonality. Songs are soulful and bring a fragrance of love and care. They are elevating and set the audience in the right mood. The background score never feels out of place and blends very well with scenes. Last but not least, the performance of the three lead actors is just wonderful.
Did the fact that your film did not be chosen as Indian entry for Oscar left you a bit disappointed?
It’s okay. Like, that’s part of life. And to be honest, I personally liked Laapata Ladies, I had already got a lot from this movie. Took me a while to finish it. I shot this film without any private funds. It is just that I think of grants only, collecting this money and take five years in making it. The whole idea that they made the film, it went to this mega festival (Cannes 2024) has been huge for me. Any extra I feel like, oh wow, one more. So, I was happy only.
Do you believe that Oscars and awards have importance?
I feel the main thing is you should be able to release a film in India. That for me is very important. And that I’m getting now. After so many years, I’m really, I’m really curious to see how it goes.
The Oscar nomination saw much social networking talk, that Aamir Khan had the money power that was necessary to lobby in Hollywood
Now, though it works for the Oscars, race, so in a way, it’s a sensible choice because the Oscar is like a lobby. And I am learning all this new work now. I never followed the Oscars so intricately.
Of course, you are watching it on TV when the Oscar Awards come and you are like excited about it, but what it actually means and what goes into it, I am learning now. The thinking that this was a whole other ball game held in my mind. So, in that way, having the money is a pretty good thing; it really does take a film a lot further than when you are doing it without any money. My film being short-listed in France as a possible submission for the Oscars was very haphazard.
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