'Laapataa Ladies' Is Copied From Foreign Film, 'Burqa City'? Netizens Say, 'This Is Embarrassing'

Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies made a lot of buzz in 2024 for its endearing story, relatable characters and socially significant message. Apart from positive reviews, the film became India's official entry to the Oscars, beating Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light that had created a major controversy. Although the film couldn't make it to the nomination list, it has received positive reactions at Indian award shows and left an impact on the viewers. But, amid this all, no one could deny that Kiran Rao made a wonderful film. However, the film has again sparked controversy after some netizens have claimed that Laapataa Ladies is copied from another film. Here's what happened.

Is Laapataa Ladies copied from the short film, Burqa City?

A couple of days ago, some posts surfaced on Reddit that showed glimpses of Fabrice Bracq's 19-minute short film, Burqa City, which was released in 2019. The film, set in the Middle East, follows the journey of a newlywed man whose wife gets swapped with another woman due to their burqas. Consequently, he sets out on the journey to find her. The film is a satirical comedy that take subtle digs on patriarchy and gender-based restrictions. Does this seem familiar? Many netizens found the film has a similar plot to the Aamir Khan-backed Laapataa Ladies (2023).

Sharing the clip, several users pointed out that Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao's film is a copy of that short film where the ghoonghats replaced burqas. However, the controversy has become more interesting as netizens uncovered another film with a similar plot. It is a 1999 movie titled Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol with a similar storyline by director, Anant Mahadevan. The filmmaker even shared the poster of his film on Instagram along with a note in 2024 where he highlighted how a film released recently had a similar plot and wrote:

"My first full-length feature, GHOONGHAT KE PAT KHOL, was for Channel9 Gold, the Australian producer who opened shop in India in 1999. It was a delightful story of two brides in the traditional Ghunghat getting mixed up in a train and finding themselves in Bombay with the wrong husband. The search for the right man and wife ends in a twist that challenges tradition and redefines the institution of marriage. Amused and humbled to find that it has inspired a similar film this year." 

Netizens allege Laapataa Ladies makers do not credit original makers 

Netizens were shocked to see the similarities between Burqa City and Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol with Laapataa Ladies and soon expressed their disappointment over it. At the same time, some users felt that these films were not completely similar to Kiran Rao's films. One netizen penned, "And they sent this as an Oscar entry!! At least could have selected an original work." Another user wrote:

"How can they have a sense of achievement when they know they have stolen the idea? One can say it was inspired, but it is kinda unfair not to credit the people behind the original idea."

See the posts here.

More about Laapataa Ladies 

Laapataa Ladies is a comedy-drama film directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan. It stars Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Chhaya Kadam and Ravi Kishan in significant roles. It follows the journey of two young brides who get exchanged during a train ride to their husbands' homes, which leads to a significant journey. 

What do you think about netizens claiming that Laapataa Ladies is copied from Burqa City ?

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