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Filmmaker Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies captivated the audience and became a cinematic sensation with its thought-provoking narrative and outstanding performances of the entire cast. The unique storytelling resonated deeply with the audience. However, recently, Laapataa Ladies has again generated significant buzz after reports of its concept copied from the Arabic short film 'Burqa City' surfaced. Though writer Biplab Goswami refuted the claims of plagiarism, French filmmaker Fabrice Bracq reacting to the buzz said, "There are too many similarities to ignore."
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Laapataa Ladies Vs Burqa City
Laapataa Ladies remains one of the much-praised movies in recent times. The film's poignant and engaging narrative resonated deeply with the audience. Moreover, the impressive performance of the entire cast bringing depth and nuance to their characters and Kiran Rao's masterful direction weaving together the complex themes and emotions into an impactful and cohesive whole has left a lasting impression on the audience and critics alike.
However, things blew up when recently a video went viral on social media, comparing certain scenes of Laapataa Ladies with the Arabic short film Burqa City. Netizens sharply criticised Rao and her entire team over 'plagiarism'.
Responding to the criticism and accusation of plagiarism, writer Biplab Goswami refuted the claims and provided relevant documents to prove the originality of the film.
Well, now French Filmmaker Fabrice Bracq reacted to the controversy and said that Laapataa Ladies shares more than just a vibe with his short film.
While talking to India Today, Bracq said, "First of all, even before watching the film, I was surprised by how closely the pitch matched that of my short film. Then I watched the film, and I was both surprised and shocked to see that, although the story had been adapted to Indian culture, many aspects of my short were clearly present."
He further added, "This is by no means an exhaustive list – the kind, loving, naive husband who loses his wife, contrasted with the other husband who is violent and despicable. The scene with the police officer is also striking: a corrupt, violent, and intimidating policeman surrounded by two sidekicks. Of course, there’s the moment with the photo of the veiled woman."
Furthermore, he compared the scenes of Laapataa Ladies with his 2019 short film Burqa City and said, "The scene where the kind husband searches for his wife in various shops is particularly revealing – he shows the shopkeepers a photo of his veiled wife, just like in the short film, and then the shopkeeper’s wife comes out wearing a burqa, almost like a nod to Burqa City."
"There’s also the similarity in the plot twist at the end, where we learn that the woman deliberately chose to run away from her abusive husband – a key narrative element in Burqa City," he said.
Laapataa Ladies' Writer's Clarification
Writer Goswami defended his work and stated that the screenplay was developed extensively over many years. The film's detailed synopsis was registered with the Screen Writers' Association in 2014. Moreover, the feature-length script was registered in 2018 with the working title 'Two Brides'.
He further claimed that the screenplay won the runner-up award at the Cinestaan Storytellers Competition in 2018.
Laapataa Ladies: A Cinematic Sensation
Notably, Laapataa Ladies was released on March 1, 2024. The movie featured Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, Nitanshi Goel and Ravi Kishan in the lead. The film's critical acclaim earned it a spot in the running for an Oscar nomination. Though the movie failed to secure a spot in the Oscar nomination, it has successfully created a lasting impression on the moviegoers.
Also Read: Laapataa Ladies 2: Fans excited as Kiran Rao hints at possible sequel
At the prestigious 2025 IIFA Awards, Kiran Rao's social drama Laapataa Ladies emerged as the biggest winner. While the movie won the Best Picture Award, Nitanshi bagged the award for Best Performance in a Leading Role (Female) and Pratibha Ranta clinched the Best Debut (Female) award for their stellar performance. Moreover, actor Ravi Kishan bagged the Award for Best Supporting Role (Male), which was his first-ever award. While Rao won the award for Best Direction, Goswami clinched the award for Best Story (Original) In The Popular Category.
