Is Laapataa Ladies Copied or Inspired?
The recent hit from Aamir Khan Productions, ‘Laapataa Ladies,’ directed by Kiran Rao, has been thrust into a storm of controversy, with its reputation being questioned due to allegations of being a copy of an old film, ‘Ghoonghat ke pat khol.’
‘Ghoonghat ke pat khol’ debuted in 1999 on Doordarshan Gold as part of their prestigious Director’s Cut series. Last October, the film’s director, Ananth Mahadevan, took to Instagram to share a cryptic message. While he didn’t explicitly name ‘Laapataa Ladies,’ his post strongly hinted at the film being a rehash of his 1999 masterpiece.
A spirited discussion has erupted, with some suggesting that ‘Laapataa Ladies’ is a mere imitation of the 1999 film. However, a closer look at the director’s Instagram post reveals a different narrative, emphasizing the importance of a balanced assessment.
He uses the term ‘inspired, ‘shedding light on the fact that the original ‘Ghoonghat ke pat khol’ drew inspiration from the 1960 film ‘Ghughat,’ which in turn was based on Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Naukadoobi.’
The 1999 film is not available on any platform. It is hard to accentuate the fact that Laapata Ladies is a copy of this film. In one of the comments, a user shares insight about the similarities in concept, not the full film.
Laaptaa Ladies is a beautiful film, and the writing is impeccable. The performances carry the movie to another level. Looking forward with hope, I anticipate the release of the 1999 film on any platform, eager to see what the gossip is all about eventually.