Married couples are as plentiful as flowers and villages. In director Kiran Rao’s latest film, Laapataa Ladies, two veiled brides accidentally switch positions on a train one fatal night in 2001. In keeping with her reputation, Rao delivers a feminist punch in this breezy comedy, transforming a straightforward misunderstanding into a tale about custom and identity.
Phool Kumari is married to Deepak Kumar on the day of the momentous error. There are many “just married” couples traveling by train, with the brides, like all devout women, concealing themselves under veils. Deepak and Phool hilariously find themselves in the same compartment as two other couples when they board the train. Deepak picks up the incorrect bride in the night and gets off at his station.
Rao’s trip down memory lane justifies that the catastrophic mishap leads to a plethora of contretemps. India has fewer telecom towers and an excessive number of villages in 2001, making it a more rural country. As one groom in the train cabin drools over his substantial dowry, he must concede that, despite the numerous offers, the cell phone he has been given is useless in his region of India.
Deepak (Sparsh Shrivastav) accuses the veil after he and his family find out that he has brought the wife of another guy home. But the irony gets deeper when the ghunghat is removed to expose Pratibha Ranta, a brave and sharp-witted woman. How could she ever be mistaken for Nitanshi Goel’s romantic, naive Phool?
The bride at home presents herself as Pushpa Rani while Deepak rushes from station to station looking for his Phool. She starts off scaring the family with her boldness, but she quickly gets used to it. The veil resembles a tent in every way. She blurts out, “It hides the woman’s face and prevents her from seeing past the shoes in front of her.
Is Pushpa Rani, however, who she claims to be? She has started to referring to her husband Pradeep (Bhaskar Jha) as Pankaj, and she is not in a rush to get back together. Inspector Manohar (Ravi Kishan), a piggish character, enters the scene. He has noticed a golden goose in Pushpa.
Because of Deepak’s mistake, Phool finds himself stuck at a train station in a different village. She meets Chhotu (Satendra Soni), a friend and shelter, just past the threshold of adolescence. At Chhotu’s insistence, Phool refuses to take off her wedding attire so Deepak can recognize her, and finally begins to accept the situation as her new normal. He informs her that “things are often not what they seem.” Chhotu, being astute and astute, presents her to the practical Manju Maai, who manages a tea and refreshments stand at the train station.
In Surajmukhi, Deepak’s village, Pushpa is the feminist rebel; at the station, gender politics are handled by Manju Maai. Referring to patriarchy and its offshoots as a “fraud”, she states quite clearly that women in this nation have been misled for ages. Another name for this scammer is “a respectable girl.” Manju takes inspiration from her own struggles, such as the time she divorced her inebriated spouse and her useless son.
With a strong feminist message at its heart, Sneha Desai’s adaptation of Biplab Goswami’s story, Laapataa Ladies, is a novel twist on social satire. The screenplay emphasizes the purpose of the movie, enhanced by Divyanidhi Sharma’s contributions and Desai’s skill with conversation.
From a political standpoint, it doesn’t introduce novel ideas or encourage realism. By the end of the movie, the cynical characters have something to grin about, and the dishonest ones have come to terms with their morality. The way the movie expresses its problems is direct and free of coercion. It’s succinct, getting right to the point without going into too much detail, and it does a great job of concentrating on its themes of reconciliation and return.
The moral message is readily apparent, much like in a parable. Clearly, patriarchy is to blame. The shroud conceals, obscures, and wreaks havoc. However, Pushpa uses the veil to break free from the constraints of marriage. And Phool must to remove this mask in order to learn how to love and be in a new way.
Naturally, in contrast to a fable, these tensions are occasionally expressed with a shout when only silence would do. Jokes abound around the veil. If Rao was speaking to a pre-existing audience, it is obvious that this group does not require persuasion regarding feminism and women’s agency. Although many dudebros would be put off by the infrequently obvious messaging, it begs the question of why the director did not go beyond the simple binary of being a woman.
Surprisingly, Phool and Pushpa control the narrative without taking over with their wit and woes. Their difficulties take place on the periphery of a society where women are redefining “home” and either planning their escape from or return to it. Undoubtedly, Laapataa Ladies has its share of shortcomings. Its ability to laugh at oneself is ultimately its greatest asset.
I am a dedicated student currently in my seventh semester, pursuing a degree in International Relations. Alongside my academic pursuits, I am actively engaged in the professional field as a content writer at the Rangeinn website.