Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies wins best film popular award at the Movified Digital Awards

Kirron Rao wins awards for Laapataa Ladies

Laapataa Ladies, which was directed by Kiran Rao, has subtly become one of those infrequent movies that garners both praise and accolades.

It was a tale of lost brides and the lives they impact. The film was first shown in theatres on March 1, 2024, has spread well beyond India's boundaries.

The film has captivated audiences worldwide, from its overwhelmingly positive reception at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to its official nomination as India's 2025 Oscar entry.

Most recently, Laapataa Ladies was voted the Best Film Popular Award at the Movified Digital Awards—an honour decided directly by the people. A visibly delighted Kiran Rao shared her gratitude in a short video, holding the award close.

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“Thank You all for voting for our film..it means a lot to the cast and crew. We all are incredibly thrilled to receive this award,” she said. For her and the team, this recognition felt extra special because it came from fans themselves, a reminder of the connection the film has built with its audience.

Starring Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, Nitanshi Goel, and Ravi Kishan, the film was produced by Aamir Khan Productions and Kindling Productions. It also marked Rao’s return to direction more than a decade after Dhobi Ghat.

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The TIFF premiere in 2023 had already hinted at its potential, where the screening ended with a standing ovation—an early sign of the global journey that lay ahead.

Even as Laapataa Ladies continues to collect praise, Kirron Rao is already nurturing her next project. She has joined the upcoming film Humans in the Loop as an executive producer, alongside Biju Toppo.

The story shifts the spotlight to Jharkhand, tracing the life of Nehma, an Oraon Adivasi woman whose job as an AI data-labeller quietly exposes the invisible human labour behind artificial intelligence.