Oscars submission confusion: Swatantrya Veer Savarkar makers claim official nod, FFI clarifies only Laapataa Ladies sent

The producers of Swatantrya Veer Savarkar formally submitted their film to the Oscars on Tuesday morning, causing confusion regarding India's official entry. This followed the FFI's announcement the day before that Laapataa Ladies would be this year's entry.

FFI President denies claims of incorrect communication

When HT City contacted FFI president Ravi Kottakara about the claim that the makers had provided incorrect communication, he responded with laughter. Laapataa Ladies is India's only official submission to the Oscars.

ALSO READ: After Laapataa Ladies, Randeep Hooda's Swatantrya Veer Savarkar gets submitted for Oscars 2025  

A joint Instagram post by Sandeep Singh, the film's production companies, and Ankita Lokhande, the star, served as the announcement. Randeep Hooda, who is both the director and principal actor, chose not to update his social media accounts. 

An insider with knowledge of the matter said that this is very shady. Even though Randeep has not actually provided a quote, news releases have circulated what appears to be one from him.

When the daily attempted to contact Hooda for comment, he was not accessible, while Lokhande and Singh also did not respond.

Anand Pandit, the co-producer of the film, revealed that he was unaware of the submission date until Monday. Making it to the Oscars is a major accomplishment, and he is obviously overwhelmed.

Swatantrya Veer Savarkar among 30 films considered for Oscars submission

Swatantrya Veer Savarkar was considered for submission at the Oscars alongside 29 other films. In addition to the film, the list included All We Imagine As Light, which Payal Kapadia won at Cannes; Aattam, which Anand Ekarshi won at the National Awards; Animal, which Sandeep Reddy Vanga made controversial; and Laapataa Ladies.

Producers in India can submit their films for consideration as official selections for the festival for a cost of Rs 1,25,000, provided that they meet the standards set out by the FFI. The jurors will then review all of the films and choose one to serve as the national representative.

The notification states that the makers of Swatantrya Veer Savarkar can submit the film independently, even though it isn't the official pick by the FFI. Although each nation can only submit one film for the Oscars as its "official" entry, individual filmmakers have the opportunity to submit multiple films for consideration.

ALSO READ: Swatantrya Veer Savarkar box office collection day 1 - Randeep Hooda's film earns a little over Rs 1 crore