'Lost Ladies didn’t have a big star cast, but we believed that people would come to watch the film' - Jyoti Deshpande

Jyoti Deshpande, President of Media and Content Business at Reliance Industries, recently spoke to ETimes at IFFI Goa, about the journey of Laapataa Ladies (Lost Ladies) to the Oscars, Aamir Khan's involvement in it and women led cinema...

Tell us about the promotion of the film for the Oscars
We organize many screenings. People who want to attend RSVP. The film is already on Netflix, so a theatrical release is not required. But we are holding special screenings so that people (jury members/voters) can get the big screen experience.

The feedback...
One of the best feedback you get is when you watch the film with the audience – how are they reacting to each character – when the brides get lost or the scenes of the cop played by Ravi Kishan. Those are precious moments that we live for. Lost Ladies is a very nuanced film. It’s a skilfully made film. And what is heartening to see is that people across cultures are getting those nuances and the film is resonating with them. They are getting the beats of women empowerment, the beats of humour, and the layers built into the film.

The best remarks...
One of the ladies said that the supporting characters are like salt-n-pepper. The meal is incomplete without them because each of them has played their arc so beautifully.

Another lady said that she waited 40 years to get into the congregation and become a Rabbi. She said, “Isn’t it like lifting a veil for me?” So, people understood the metaphor of the veil or ghunghat. That’s very heartening to know as a filmmaker to see those reactions. Of course, we want to win the Oscar. But the journey of showing this film to so many different people has been a very satisfying one.

Aamir Khan’s involvement in the promotions
Aamir is a purist. So, we all agree that we’re just screening the film so that it reaches people. The film will speak for itself. We’re not doing anything beyond this. We’re just trying to screen the film in as many places as possible. We released the film in Japan theatrically. It is smashing Box Office records. People are loving it.


Every film has its destiny. Lost Ladies is a sweet and simple film told authentically. But it packs a punch. It has conveyed a big message in a very simple way.
Is it tough to promote Women led cinema?
If we start doing everything with a calculator and making an Excel sheet, it won’t work. Lost Ladies didn’t have a big star cast, but we believed that people would come to watch the film. It is not easy. More people try to push you directly to OTT, and discourage you from coming to cinemas saying you’ll lose your money and won’t recover the costs. But sometimes, you have to follow your gut feel and purpose. I backed Lost Ladies with my total conviction.