New Delhi: The critically acclaimed Laapataa Ladies is making headlines after social media users pointed out striking similarities between the film and a 2019 Arabic-language short film titled Burqa City. Short clips from both films have been circulating online, fueling plagiarism allegations and speculation that Kiran Rao’s directorial might be a remake.
Amid the controversy, writer Biplab Goswami has broken his silence. He issued a statement on social media, clarifying that Laapataa Ladies was registered with the Screenwriters Association back in 2014 — well before Burqa City was released.
Biplab took to Instagram and shared a statement along with relevant documents to support his claim.
Take A look At The Post:
The statement reads ,’The screenplay for Laapataa Ladies was developed extensively over many years,’
The note further reveals the film’s registration information, ‘I first registered the film’s detailed synopsis, outlining the entire story with the working title ‘Two Brides’,with the Screenwriters Association on July 3, 2014. Even within this registered synopsis, there is a scene that clearly describes the groom bringing home the wrong bride and being shocked and stricken upon realising his mistake because of the veil, along with the rest of his family. This is where the story takes off. I had also clearly written about the scene of the worried groom going to the police station and showing the only photograph he had of his missing bride to the police officer, but the bride’s face was covered with a veil, resulting in a comedic moment.
The statement also reveals the original script title of Laapataa Ladies and its official registration details, ‘On June 30, 2018, I registered the feature-length script ‘Two Brides’ with the SWA. This script won the runner-up award at the Cinestaan Storytellers Competition in 2018. Again, in this screenplay, I had the scene of the policeman amused by the photograph of the veiled bride.’
Addressing the ongoing controversy and asserting the script’s originality, Biplab Goswami’s statement reads, ‘The story, the dialogues, the characters, and the scenes—all stem from years of research and honest reflection. I was deeply invested in understanding the nuances of gender discrimination and inequality, rural power dynamics, and male chauvinism across both Indian and global contexts. Our story, characters, and dialogues are 100% original. Any allegations of plagiarism are completely untrue. These allegations not just undermine my efforts as a writer, but also the tireless efforts of the entire filmmaking team. Thank You.’
Produced by Aamir Khan, Laapataa Ladies was India’s official selection for the Oscars this year, chosen over the acclaimed Malayalam-language film All We Imagine as Light, directed by Payal Kapadia. However, Laapataa Ladies did not make it to the final shortlist.
The film stars Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, Nitanshi Goel, Chhaya Kadam, and Ravi Kishan in pivotal roles.
Director Kiran Rao is yet to respond to the ongoing controversy.