Laapataa Ladies plagiarism row: Biplab Goswami refutes claims

Kiran Rao’s highly appreciated and much-loved film Laapataa Ladies has found itself in hot water after being accused of copying its script. With the clip of an Arabic short film going viral on social media, netizens could spot striking similarities between its script and screenplay of Laapataa Ladies. While the writer of Laapataa Ladies, in his clarification, cleared that the film`s content is 100&#37 original, the director of Burqa City, Fabrice Bracq, said he is “shocked and saddened.”

Burqa City director Fabrice Bracq on Laapataa Ladies’ script

Fabrice spoke to IFP and reacted to the ongoing debate in India and stated, “There’s also similarity in the plot twist at the end, where we learn that the woman deliberately chose to run away from her abusive husband – a key narrative element in Burqa City.”

When asked how he feels over the films` striking similarities, he shared, “When I found out, I was both shocked and saddened, especially since I understood that the film had been a huge success in India and was even shortlisted for the Oscars. As for me, I had hopes – and was in discussions – to adapt Burqa City into a feature film. But is that even possible now?”

He also shared that he is not sure what he wants to do next and stated, “For now, I`m not sure — probably to have a discussion with the production team of Laapataa Ladies.”

Biplab Goswami claims Laapataa Ladies is ‘100&#37 original’

Meanwhile, as the outcry on Laapataa being slammed for copying content, the film`s writer Biplab Goswami had put out a long clarification very recently, where he claimed that all the allegations of plagiarism are untrue. A part of his long note reads, “Our story, characters, and dialogues are 100&#37 original. Any allegations of plagiarism are completely untrue. These allegations not just undermine my efforts as a writer, but also the tireless efforts of the entire filmmaking team.”

 

 

 

 

 

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About Laapataa Ladies

Laapataa Ladies is a story set in 2001 in rural India about two young brides who get separated during a train journey and what happens when a police officer takes it upon himself to probe the missing case.

Directed by Kiran Rao and produced under the banners of Aamir Khan Productions, Kindling Pictures, and Jio Studios, Laapataa Ladies was released in theatres on March 1, 2024. It starred Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Ravi Kishan, and Chhaya Kadam.