'Kiran ma'am, Aamir sir and my lovely audience have given us wings to fly internationally.'
Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies was announced as India's official entry for the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars on Monday, September 24e, 2024.
One of the most excited voices is that of Nitanshi Goel, who made her Bollywood debut in one of the film's lead roles of Phool Kumari.
The 17 year old couldn't contain her excitement when she first heard the news about the film's Oscar entry.
"I felt so happy. I was dancing all around in the room," Nitanshi says.
"I was brimming with gratitude. I'm really, really, happy because this film is so special to me. Especially my character, Phool, has received so much love.
"I'm really thankful to Kiran ma'am, Aamir sir, and especially to my lovely audience. They have given us wings to fly internationally. The way the film is being appreciated now, not just in India but also abroad, feels incredible," she adds.
Nitanshi shares a memorable moment from the sets when her confidence was boosted by a WhatsApp message from Aamir Khan.
"Aamir sir was technically not on set, but he used to send us messages on WhatsApp. He would tell us if a shot was okay or if it needed to be done again," she says.
"I remember on the second day of shooting, there was a scene I was a bit unsure about. I wanted some validation from both Kiran ma'am and Aamir sir. Then Kiran ma'am came up to me and showed me Aamir sir's message, where he said, 'Your Phool is rocking it.' From that day onwards, I felt so much more confident. That message really boosted me," she adds.
Nitanshi feels like she's 'living a fairy-tale life' since the release of Laapaata Ladies.
"I'm living a fairy-tale life. Ever since the release, the love my character Phool has received has been overwhelming. People meet me with so much love in their eyes, and it's not just the audiences, but also people from the industry. So many film-makers and actors, whom I deeply admire, have shown great appreciation for my work. It's truly been a magical experience," she says.
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Pratibha Ranta, the other lead actor in Laapataa Ladies, is also very excited.
In fact, 2024 will always remain special for the actor, as she got opportunities to showcase her talent in two diverse projects, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar and Laapataa Ladies.
"I love this feeling. We were not expecting it but were definitely hoping for something of that sort to happen," she says.
"It has finally happened, so we are quite happy. In a day or two, I will meet Kiran (Kiran Rao) ma'am and Aamir sir (Aamir Khan) and the entire team. I just want to say that I am grateful...Can't describe this feeling in words," she says.
"It feels like all my hard work has paid off. You achieve one goal, then you tend to broaden your vision and set more goals. I think that is happening to me right now. I'm able to see a spectrum beyond what I had ever imagined for myself," Pratibha adds.
Kiran Rao also expressed her gratitude for getting a chance to make her film reach a global audience.
"I was not expecting an Oscar entry as many good films have been made this year. Now we will have a chance to show this film to a much larger audience. I would like to thank the audience for giving so much love to this film. I think there is something for everyone in this film," she shares.
"The film was made on the issues, expectations and aspirations of women. When such a film becomes the country's official entry to the Oscars, it is very encouraging. I think with this, it feels like we are going in the direction of finding solutions to many problems faced by women. People have appreciated the introduction of new faces and talents in this film. It took us four-five years to make this film, I want to thank the whole team of the film... Oscars ka raasta lamba aur kathin hota hai par hum apni taraf se puri koshish karenge (The journey to Oscars is not going to be easy but we will give it all)," Kiran says.
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