Laapataa Ladies

Laapata Ladies is a sort of film that is very rare these days. A satire that is an eye-opener for the audience and needs everyone's attention. With unknown cast, limited budget and great script, it's a movie for all age-groups, every gender and is bound to go a long way.

This Kiran Rao's tragicomedy of two brides in rural India who accidentally get swapped during a train journey while returning from their wedding. Their misadventures after this strange event will make you laugh and the same time think about the social taboos a women has to go through in our society.

Ravi Kishan playing the cop investigating this case is a delight to watch. Very subtly and hilariously he gives movie the much needed comic side that perfectly balances the emotional cause for which the movie was made. Probably one of his best performance till date.

Newcomers Sparsh Shrivastava (Deepak), Nitanshi Goel (Phool) & Pratibha Ranta (Jaya), they all justified their casting by giving some of the memorable performances. Hats off to all of them.

Breaking Barriers with Wit and Grit. Laapataa Ladies is a cinematic gem that shines a light on the timeless struggle against patriarchy, skillfully set against a rural backdrop. Directed with finesse and fueled by stellar performances, this film is a compelling blend of humor & sarcasm, delivering a poignant message. It's a film that entertains, educates, and inspires, leaving a lasting impact on its audience long after the credits roll.

From its intriguing premise to its captivating sequence of events, the screenplay keeps audiences hooked from start to finish. The dialogue is sharp, witty, and hits all the right notes, seamlessly weaving humor into its commentary on societal norms. The direction is uncomplicated yet captivating, making the narrative easy to follow while still leaving room for thought-provoking moments.

What truly elevates the film are its star performers. Sparsh Shrivastava delivers praiseworthy performances. Nitanshi Goel delivers a memorable performance. Pratibha Ranta shines as a woman determined to break free from the shackles of patriarchy. Her portrayal is confident, drawing audiences into her character's journey. Ravi Kishan and Chhaya Kadam steal the show with their standout performance.

Today, I went to the theatre to experience Kiran Rao's new movie, "Laapataa Ladies." I was stunned when I watched the movie. The performances, storytelling, humor, and social messages were outstanding. Initially, I wasn't very interested in seeing her new movie, considering Kiran Rao had directed only one movie in her career, "Dhobi Ghat." However, knowing that she is Aamir Khan's ex-wife and has been a co-director, writer, and producer of many good films, I decided to give it a try.

Let's talk about the movie. The cast is entirely new; actors and actresses are all new faces to me. But they gave their best in the movie, especially Pratibha Ranta and Ravi Kishan. The social message part of the movie was really good, highlighting how women were treated like servants or slaves. They showed various issues, including agricultural problems, that exist in India.

The movie is set in the 20s era when mobile phones were just introduced in India, and the only game was the snake game on Nokia mobiles, so there was no internet, no Gen Z, and no adult scenes. It was a purely cinematic experience. The girl who stole my heart is Nitanshi Goel. She is so cute, man. I loved her. She is now added to my crush list.

Anyway, you should watch this movie if you want to see some good wholesome social drama. This movie will absolutely win your heart. I give this movie 4.5/5. Lastly, I want to share something that happened in the theatre. A guy who was working at INOX, where I watched the movie, asked me, "Sir, boi ta kemon laaglo ar etake apni koto star deben out of 5." I told him the same rating that I gave in this review.

Wow. What a rewarding experience. Laapataa Ladies is an amazing nostalgic trip to the days of Basu Chatterjee and Hrishikesh Mukherjee's cinema of simplicity, morals, values and the common man. This is the kind of movie that makes its audience care for and invest in its characters. This is the kind of movie that makes its audience believe that there is goodness in the world. This is the kind of movie that makes its audience want to watch movies for its relevant and real content, its natural and realistic performances, its gentle lessons on morality and humanity with a drizzle of subtle humor. Unfortunately this is also the kind of movie most audiences wont watch in theater because they consider it OTT material. But this is the kind of movie that will make its audience come out of the theater with a smile on their face, a contented heart and a serene soul. This is what "a small movie with a big heart" really means.

Every aspect of the movie is stellar. The story is simple yet complex as it very delicately manages to comment upon multiple social issues without preaching about them. The humor is satirical but not sarcastic. The story is fresh and gives enough room for all its characters to breathe, take appropriate shape and find their respective arcs. Each character has been written with care and given the required attention. The two titular Laapataa Ladies, the devastated husband in the village searching for his wife, his mother who has even forgotten what she really likes, his shy sister in law with a hidden talent that even she isnt aware of, the sour grandmother who also seeks a friend to talk to, the disillusioned but helpful Manju Mai at the station, the lovable chai serving kid Chottu, the somewhat corrupt police officer with his simple minded but good hearted constable and the female constable who came through sports quota etc etc. All characters in the movie have been created with a lot of love and honesty and they have also been played brilliantly with an equal dose of love and honesty.

Ravi Kishan as the police inspector is the only really well known name in the cast and he delivers a mighty and nuanced performance. Nitanshi Goel and Pratibha Ranta as the Laapataa ladies showcase what natural and realistic acting should actually look and feel like. Satendra Soni is a somewhat familiar face but now he deserves his name to be remembered also. Geeta Agrawal Sharma has rightfully become the Go-To actress for the "good mother of a struggling, poor household" role after great performances in 12th Fail, OMG2 and a small but nice appearance in Fighter. Sparsh Shrivastava, Chhaya Kadam, Rachana Gupta, Durgesh Kumar and many others have given heartfelt performances that deserve attention and applause.

It may seem like the world is overflowing with negative vibes, bad people, unfortunate situations but just like a lotus grows in muddy, murky waters, the inherent goodness and kindness that exists in people sparkles in Laapataa Ladies. This is something that cant be captured on camera with big budgets, bigger stars, flashy costumes, state of the art VFX etc. It requires heart and that is what Laapataa Ladies has in abundance. Kudos to Kiran Rao for capturing the best and worst of human nature with such a delicate and warm touch. This is a movie that deserves to be experienced in its natural environment, a movie theater. It will not give you the adrenaline highs of a big budget blockbuster but that lovely smile on your face, that feeling of content and happiness that this movie gifts you will last much longer than you could ever expect. Must Watch Cinema.

#laapataladies #womensupportingwomen #IWD2024 #MustWatch

Interestingly, the reviews of the film by leading dailies prove the very point that the film attempts to make... about the invisibility of women, and their lack of agency .

Here it is .. The TOI says it's a story of two husbands who lose their wives, Filmibeat also called it a story of two young husbands, Business Standard calls it the story of a husband who loses his wife , ABP Live comments on the laughter it evokes, The Indian Express says "it is struggling to stay afloat" ( so not true 😃) .

Only a handful got it right ! Filmfare, The Hindu, and a few others.

And this is the very premise of the film.

Based on an award winning story written by Biplab Goswami, Kiran Rao returns to direction after 14 years with this delightfully thought provoking social commentary on women's empowerment . And wow, does she deliver !

The story is set in a fictitious village in a state called Nirmal Pradesh, reflective of any state in the cow belt of India. It revolves around Phool, and Jaya two women who are on their way to their new marital homes, and due to identical veils, Phool's husband mistakenly brings Jaya home, instead of Phool.

Phool realised late at the last stop that she has been deserted, and Jaya knowingly accompanies the wrong husband to his home. When both husbands realise that one's wife is "wrong" and the others wife is missing, starts the journey of finding them and returning them to their rightful homes . Phool is a shy, simple village girl, with no exposure to the world at large, and does not know either the address of her village or the address of her husband's home. .

Jaya is a girl who is a brilliant student and top ranked amongst 200 students , but has been forced to marry a man who has reportedly killed off his first wife due to dowry.

Both women experience freedom, a sense of agency , and in the process they find themselves . In 5 days, they undergo a life altering journey of self discovery, and confidence.

The veil of the two brides is metaphoric in nature ... and the Lifting the veils of social ills like patriarchy, education, lack of power, no freedom of choice, apart from the more obvious ills of lack of education, dowry. Very very masterfully, the story starts being told through the eyes of the men ( the husbands , the policeman) and soon shifts gears towards the actual story of the women . If they had not got lost, they would probably never have found their voice, their confidence and their will. Three vital skills needed to live a life of control and happiness .

A special mention needs to be made of the character Manju Maai who runs a tea stall at the station where Phool gets lost. She unexpectedly plays the reluctant catalyst in the transformation of Phool .. and their scenes and dialogues leave you hanging on your each word. Masked, layered and simple all the same time ! She aids Phool to look within and question everything, of why just being obedient and skilled at housework is not "good upbringing" . She is also the person who introduces Phool to the thrill of earning an income, however meagre is might have been.

Women's empowerment is such a loosely used term, seldom portrayed in its real sense at the grassroots level. What does empowerment mean to a woman ? Only a woman can tell ! It's different for each woman, as it's different for Jaya and Phool. But the sisterhood between the two when they come face to face in the end makes you want to stand up and dance and weep with joy!

Nitanshi Goel as Phool, Pratibha Ranta as Jaya , Sparsh Srivastava as Deepak, Chaya Kadam as Manju Maai, Ravi Kishan as the police inspector have given spectacular performances.

But the real Hero is the Story itself and the nuanced and skilful direction by Kiran Rao. Take a bow !! This gem is not to be missed . Films like this come once in a blue moon . Savour every minute every dialogue . It's definitely the breakout film of this year !