Kiran Rao Laapataa Ladies Faces Plagiarism Allegations | Laapataa Ladies and Burqa City
Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan’s critically acclaimed Bollywood movie Laapataa Ladies has found itself in the midst of a plagiarism controversy. The film, which was India’s official entry for the Oscars 2025, is now being accused of being heavily inspired by the 2019 Arabic short film Burqa City. This comes almost a year after its release on March 1, 2024. Prior to this, Laapataa Ladies had also faced allegations of being derived from Ghungat Ke Pat Khol, a 1999 Doordarshan telefilm directed by Ananth Mahadevan.
Similarities Between Laapataa Ladies and Burqa City
A viral clip from Burqa City has led social media users to draw parallels between the two films, questioning the originality of Rao’s work.
Burqa City, a 19-minute satirical short film directed by Fabrice Bracq, is set in the Middle East and follows the story of a newlywed man searching for his wife after she is mistakenly swapped with another woman wearing an identical burqa. The film critiques patriarchal societies, gender-based restrictions, and the erasure of women’s identities.
Similarly, Laapataa Ladies revolves around two newlywed brides who are swapped on a train due to their identical ghunghats (veils). The Bollywood film also explores themes of gender oppression and societal norms, making its thematic and narrative resemblance to Burqa City striking.
One particular scene that caught netizens’ attention is when the protagonist in Burqa City approaches the police with a photograph of his burqa-clad wife, only for the authorities to struggle in differentiating her from other veiled women. A nearly identical scene occurs in Laapataa Ladies, except with ghunghat-clad brides, further fueling the plagiarism accusations.
Social Media Reactions
Social media users have been vocal about the alleged lack of originality in Laapataa Ladies. Many expressed their disappointment, with comments such as:
- “Plagiarism in India. Not a new concept.”
- “Nothing that Bollywood produces seems to be an original work of art. They are all brazenly copy-pasted from somewhere else, shamelessly billed as original work.”
- “If it is a copied movie, then for the Oscars, it will be straight-up rejected.”
- “Just swapping burqas for ghunghats and calling it fresh? Wah re creativity!”
Some users also pointed out that Laapataa Ladies conveniently shifted the context from a Muslim to a Hindu setting to suit its narrative, calling it a disingenuous move.
Comparisons with Ghungat Ke Pat Khol
This is not the first time Laapataa Ladies has been accused of lacking originality. When the film was initially released, veteran filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan alleged that it closely resembled his 1999 Doordarshan telefilm Ghungat Ke Pat Khol, which also revolved around the accidental swapping of brides during a train journey. Several internet users supported this claim, stating that they remember watching a similar plot decades ago.
Implications for the Oscars 2025
Given that Laapataa Ladies was India’s official entry for the Oscars 2025, the plagiarism allegations could impact its chances of securing a nomination. The Academy has strict guidelines against plagiarism, and if the claims gain traction, it could lead to the film being disqualified from the Best International Feature Film category.
