Kiran Rao directed Laapataa Ladies goes to Oscars

and Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light. The film's success is attributed largely to the writing team, with Biplab Goswami responsible for the story and Sneha Desai for screenplay and dialogues.

In an interview with ETimes, Sneha Desai shared her excitement about the film being chosen for the Oscars, mentioning her enthusiastic calls with Kiran Rao upon hearing the news. She explained how Biplab's original story provided a strong foundation, though she tweaked its tone, moving away from a preachy, activist style and refining the second half of the climax.

One notable change was the addition of the character Manju Mai, played by Chhaya Kadam, which was not part of the original script. This character was Kiran Rao's idea to balance the film's two female protagonists, Phool and Jaya, with a wiser, older figure. Through Manju Mai, the film could introduce humor, satire, and wisdom, creating a richer narrative.