Kiran Rao’s film, Laapataa Ladies, made waves when it was announced as India’s official entry for the 2025 Oscars in the Best International Feature Film category. Despite being a relatively small film, backed by Aamir Khan Productions, its critical acclaim has kept it in the spotlight. However, when it comes to its commercial performance, the movie had a mixed journey.
Box Office Performance
Laapataa Ladies was released on March 1, 2024, and its box office performance was modest. Domestically, the film garnered around ₹18 crore nett in India, with a gross total of ₹21 crore. Internationally, the movie added an additional ₹2.5 crore, bringing its worldwide box office gross to approximately ₹24 crore. Despite this, the theatrical performance did not live up to expectations, especially given the anticipation around the film due to Aamir Khan’s involvement.
Budget and Profit Analysis
The film had a budget of approximately ₹25 crore, which included ₹20 crore for production and ₹5 crore for print and publicity. Despite a lackluster box office performance, the film managed to break even and secure minor profits through strong non-theatrical revenues. The sale of digital rights fetched around ₹13.5 crore, while satellite rights were sold for ₹5.5 crore, and music rights earned ₹0.5 crore. Combined, these non-theatrical revenues totaled ₹19.5 crore.
With the theatrical revenue contributing another ₹7.5 crore, the film managed to generate total revenue of ₹27 crore, resulting in a modest profit of ₹2 crore. This financial outcome places Laapataa Ladies in the “below average” category commercially, despite the profit being mainly due to strong digital and satellite deals.
Hit or Flop?
While Laapataa Ladies did not achieve blockbuster status, it cannot be considered a commercial flop. The film recovered its costs and even generated a small profit. However, it was not a significant box-office success and instead relied heavily on its non-theatrical sales to make up for its limited earnings from cinemas.
Conclusion: A Critical Success
Despite a below-average box office run, Laapataa Ladies has achieved remarkable success on the international stage by being selected for the 2025 Oscars. Its unique storytelling, direction by Kiran Rao, and Aamir Khan’s backing have elevated the film’s profile, allowing it to secure its place as an important film in Indian cinema, even if its financial performance wasn’t spectacular.
