Hindi movie Laapataa Ladies, helmed by Kiran Rao, became the talk of the town ever since its release for various reasons. Starring Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, Nitanshi Goel and Ravi Kishan in pivotal roles, the movie was well-received by the audience for its beautiful story, outstanding performances of the actors and the hit song 'Sajni Re'. While moviegoers are yet to get over the movie, Kiran Rao recently dropped a hint about a possible sequel that filled excitement among all. But, did you know that Laapataa Ladies is "copied" from a telefilm that streamed on Doordarshan in 1999?
Is Laapataa Ladies Copied?
Well, though it sounds surprising, reportedly, National Award-winning director Anant Mahadevan accused Kiran Rao of plagiarism. As per reports, Anant claimed that Laapataa Ladies is copied from his telefilm Ghoonghat Ke Pat Khol, which was first aired in 1999 on Doordarshan Gold under their Director's cut series.
Interestingly, the telefilm, previously available on YouTube, has now been removed after Laapataa Ladies gained viewers' attention.
If the reports are anything to go by, Anant called out the makers. However, Biplab Goswami, the story writer of Laapataa Ladies, firmly stated, that he wrote the synopsis a decade ago.
Reportedly, he said, "My story, script, dialogues, characterisation, and scenes are all 100 per cent original. I have not been inspired by any story, movie, or novel. I have not watched Anant Mahadevan Ji’s movie. I was also recently asked if it’s inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s Bengali novel, Noukadubi. I won’t copy somebody else’s story as we are taught the basic ethics and moralities of writing."
What Viewers Say...
Well, the reports sparked discussions among netizens. While some viewers commented that the allegations are baseless others pointed out some similarities between both the movies.
As claimed by most of the users, the concept of both movies is the same and inspired by Rabindranath Tagore's novel Naukadubi. As the viewers suggested, Ghoonghat Ke Pat Khol is a love story wherein the brides get swapped at the railway station and start living with other families. Moreover, the brides fall in love with exchanged grooms and get married. To avoid any further confusion, the grandmother of the groom says, 'Ghoonghat Ke Pat Khol' which means remove your veil. On the other hand, Kiran's Laapataa Ladies, though has a similar plot, the conclusion is different and it is more focused on social issues.
About Laapataa Ladies...
'Laapataa Ladies' is set in rural India and follows the story of two young brides who go missing from a train. The movie delves into their journey of self-discovery, examining themes of freedom, identity, and societal expectations. The narrative promises a blend of humour and poignancy, capturing the essence of small-town life and the complexities faced by women in traditional settings.
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More About The Sequel
During a live session held by Netflix, when Sparsh and Pratibha were asked if Jaya and Deepak ended up together. To this Pratibha replied, “I think so ya, kyuki I think Jaya and Deepak bahut ache best friends ban sakte hai.”
Meanwhile, Sparsh added, “I think this question belongs to Kiran Rao,” and instantly told the helmer, “Ma’am just write something where this can end up together.”
This is when, Kiran Rao wrote, “Ok on it.”
This hint from the director sparked the buzz about the sequel.