The film ‘Laapataa Ladies’ (Lost Ladies) directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan Productions provides a new insight into the challenges faced by married Indian women who are hidden behind social conventions. With subtlety and simplicity, the film explores the universe that lies beyond patriarchy. Screenplay by Senha Desai, based on the narrative by Biplab Goswami, deftly depicts the lives of two brides who become “lost” on their way to their marriage: Pushpa Rani, also known as Jaya (Pratibha Ranta), and Phool Kumari (Nitanshi Goel).
The story
The narrative takes place in the fictional state of Nirmal Pradesh in central India. Because it is customary for newlyweds to wear ghunghats over their faces, our main character Deepak (Sparsh Shrivastava) wakes up in the middle of the night to take his sleeping wife out of the train and discovers that he has brought the wrong woman home!
This is due to the fact that that exact compartment had three recently married couples! The next part of the movie tells the story of his quest to find his true wife, who is distraught and disoriented after leaving their station without knowing how to get in touch with him. The woman he has taken home introduces herself as Pushpa Rani, a resident of Sambela village, and she claims to have been split from her husband Pankaj because she believed he was the one who had dragged her from the train. A police inquiry is then conducted.
Review of Laapataa Ladies: A Script Analysis
The intriguing tale by author Biplab Goswami has parallels in real life because incidents similar to this have actually occurred in North India, and gangs have even been implicated in these cases so that the “brides” can subsequently flee with money and jewellery. However, in the final twenty-five minutes or so, the plot here takes a novel turn.
Laapataa Ladies stands out for its snappy dialogue and tight screenplay, which don’t include any superfluous footage. This movie pays close attention to a dialect and even the subtleties of pronunciation and diction. The screenplay authored by Sneha Desai is captivating, and her dialogue, co-written with Divyanidhi Sharma, is not only realistic but also incredibly clever and funny.
There are some of the best lines that involve Deepak’s lost bride, Phool, and Chhaya Kadam, the tea shop owner, who finds Phool and protects her at the station where she got off. She not only teaches Phool some fundamentals of being a self-sufficient woman, but she also inspires admiration for her unwavering belief that the man she loves will find her. Additionally, there are both endearing and scathing words for Deepak’s parents (Pankaj Sharma and Geeta Agarwal Sharma), and most importantly, for the police officer who looks into the cases of Phool and Pushpa Rani.
A humorous tragedy
The plot contains aspects of both humour and tragedy at its foundation, and the script keeps the fun factor as an undercurrent while taking an unwaveringly factual and rational approach. When Deepak shares his troubles, the police officer’s first response is laughter at his “accomplishment” of something he has never been able to do for his own wife! However, the script gives him a jaw-dropping finale with impactful lines that would undoubtedly win over the audience, proving what the director and co-producer Kiran had said all along—that Aamir Khan had truly desired to play the part!
Review of Laapataa Ladies: A Star-Studded Production
Ccasting director Romil has assembled a cast of flawless actors. Nitanshi Goel makes a wonderful old-world, idealistic, and adorable bride. When it comes to acting honours, it’s difficult to decide between Pratibha Ranta and her because of the interesting career path of Pratibha’s character, which starts as a shy girl but develops a close bond with Deepak’s younger nephew and bhabhi before becoming suspicious of the police due to her actions.
Both Sparsh Shrivastava and the several performers portraying his friends and family are flawless. Special recognition goes out to his mother, Geeta Agarwal Sharma; father, Pankaj Sharma; grandma, Kirti Jain; and bhabhi, Rachna Gupta.
Apart from the heroines, though, Chhaya Kadam as Phool’s benefactor Manju Maai and Ravi Kishan as the cop Shyam Manohar steal the show. A special mention should also go to Satendra Soni as Manju’s helper Choti and Durgesh Kumar as his dense assistant Dubey-ji (his last comment about going far in life is funny!).
The direction and writing are excellent.
Hardly slips, Laapata Ladies. It slowly and subtly raises the curtain on a great deal of societal issues, and for that reason, it seems like a big, loving hug. A narrative that simultaneously makes you laugh, think, and talks to you.
Dhobi Ghaat, Rao’s debut film, addressed a variety of topics, including loneliness in a metropolis like Mumbai. The subtle storytelling, superb technique, and stunning cinematography of Rao’s film won it a lot of accolades. Laapataa Ladies is a beautiful movie because, despite its feminist stance, it never dehumanises or whitewashes the men.
Kiran deserves special recognition for her handling of the many police station scenes, the touching exchanges between Manju Maai and Phool, the inebriated scene with Deepak and his buddies, and the overall surprise of a climax.
Co-written by Sneha and Divyanidhi Sharma, the dialogues never border on preachiness and instead find a balance between wit and wisdom.
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