- Date of Release: 01 March 2024
- Genre: Comedy
- Language: Hindi
Laapataa Ladies
Introduction
Seldom has there been a satire on womanhood which is so hilarious and enjoyable without being preachy at all! It is a movie marathon Saturday for me wherein I have finished watching two films back to back while still having the urge to pen a review on both of them. With that, I finished watching the new Hindi film Laapataa Ladies which is directed by Kiran Rao. I remember sitting in a theatre almost 15 years ago to watch her debut film Dhobi Ghat, only to be left spellbound by the kind of cinema watching experience that I had then witnessed for the first time, something so beautiful and profound that cannot be translated in as many words. But the film did two things – instill my faith in Kiran Rao as a writer-director and Aamir Khan, a producer who could always smell a good script despite the content being far from a commercial one. The faith is still intact in 2024 as I ventured into the film Lapata Ladies without not knowing what to expect, other than my belief that both Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan would deliver a quality product all over again. So then, does Laapataa Ladies manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Laapataa Ladies follows the story of two brides being hilariously swapped one night on a train journey. What happens next? The story here is a meticulously penned satire on womanhood that is absolutely hilarious and enjoyable to the core while packaging the drama in the feel-good space without getting preachy. The beauty of the writing is that it presents a wacky situation featuring such well written characters that connect with you on a personal level over the course of its screenplay standing at a shade above 2 hours that gently takes potshots on the plight of woman in our country even today(though the setting is of 2001 in the film), while also touching upon the politics of the land wherein the drama is staged. But at no point is the fun quotient of the film lowered.
The drama begins with a wedding that takes place featuring a young couple following which they board a train to reach the groom’s destination. The confusion is created early on with the extended train sequence that is filled with chaos given that there is another married couple in the bogey on a similar journey. The situation reaches a crescendo when the brides are swapped leading to further confusion. While the drama does have several laugh out loud moments, it is the characters that really appealed to me, and kudos to the writers for tactfully laying out some wonderful traits along the way.
For instance, along the journey we get to know that Phool Kumari is a young girl who has stepped out of her house for the first time while being in her cacoon all her life, so much so that she doesn’t even recall the name of her husband’s village after being swapped and lost. It is only when she meets an elderly woman owning a small shop at a railway station(where Phool finds herself to be lost in) who nurtures Phool to be independent while alerting her of the ‘frauds’ happening around her life. On the other hand, Jaya has a completely different arc of someone who is independent and wishes to study farming while being reluctantly married of to a groom whose previous wife had died of an ‘accident’ of burns. This, while she finds herself in a remore village unknown to her with Deepak for company who happens to be the groom of Phool, a very endearing yet naive man who wishes to reunite with his sweetheart.
Along the way, the writers create some interesting moments while never letting sight of the satire that they intend to convey through the proceedings. This includes the plight of the woman in general, even though the setting itself is of a village. For instance, a woman talking about a dish that she really loved as a child only to stop eating because the men in the house did not have a taste for it. Or, a woman who doesn’t name her husband ever while only doing it once after she forms a bond with Jaya. But the comedy in these situations is intact, given that the identity of anyone is through their faces, and the only real picture that Deepak has of Phool is in her ‘Ghunghat'(a sort of a veil covering the face till the forehead), that presents several laugh out loud moments while allowing the viewers time to ponder. On a layered note, there are gentle political potshots taken that were incredibly well integrated in the screenplay including a little meta-reference which was an antidote to the ‘Animal’ featuring the character of the elderly woman narrating her incident to Phool, ahhh poetic justice indeed!
The leisurely drama has a little more urgency to it in the final act with the multiple threads converging in a feel-good gig that reminded me of the winning formula of a Raju Hirani film. The entire police station sequence was probably my most favourite, and something that would end up as one of my most cherished cinematic moments of 2024! The ability of the writers fo make you laugh while getting you emotional is a treasured skill and implemented to perfection in this rather progressive final act that had me applauding, along with several ladies for whom the drama would be more relatable(than me) in several ways. Overall, the screenplay is excellent and makes for a solid enjoyable watch.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are extremely well penned while being true to the source material and never deviating into a preachy space. In fact, the lines are so hilarious and enjoyable that I literally had a ball while briefly pondering on the issues of womanhood that are prevalent even today. The music breathes a sense of freshness in the drama with its vibrant notes while also blending well with the existing emotions of the drama. The BGM is good while never being manipulative in wanting the audience to feel a certain way. Yet, the notes lure the viewers in the narrative while allowing them space to ponder amidst the laughter. The cinematography captures the vibe of the landscape perfectly with appropriate hues complimenting the frames. The editing is crisp and sharp while ensuring that there is no real lag in the screenplay. Director Kiran Rao belongs to the rare breed of directors whose voice needs to be preserved. There is an aesthetically different sense of perspective and sensibility that she possesses with respect to her characters in a sweeping narrative that engulfs you in the most unassuming manner possible. Here too, the well etched out characters make a lasting impression even with respect to the staging of the drama which was executed so well, that I couldn’t help but think of how brilliant Kiran is as a director, someone who understands the world perfectly. The direction is outstanding here.
Performances
The performances are brilliant by the ensemble cast. Satendra Soni as Chhotu and Pranjal Pateria as Raghu are endearing little characters who manage to leave a lasting impression. Durgesh Singh as Dubey and Daood Hussain as Gunjan are absolutely on point with their effortless acting and subtle bouts of comedy that did put a smile on my face. Bhaskar Jha as Pradeep will make your blood boil, an emotion that can be attributed to the brilliance of the actor in conveying a certain kind of emotion. Rachna Gupta as Poonam is quietly charming in such a heartfelt character that did put a smile on my face, owing to her innocence. Geeta Agrawal Sharma and her immaculate sense of comedy is a match made in heaven and she is once again so impressive while also gently tapping into a space that was heartfelt in many ways.
Ravi Kishan is a legend in every sense of the word because the kind of antics that he presents in his characters is so unique to him. As Manohar, he starts off as a character who is slightly corrupt and edgy but I loved how he was given a nice little character arc to play with, something that showcased his range as a performer in that incredibly endearing yet hilarious police station sequence at the end which was my absolute favourite.
Chhaya Kadam is such an incredible actor who has the ability to leave a lasting impression through her performances. And Manju Maai was exactly that character wherein Chhaya was stoic and a hard nut to crack to begin with while presenting wordly advice to Phool in an uninhibited manner, only to warm up to her and become more endearing. This again was a wonderful range that was reflective of a splendid actor.
Sparsh Shrivastav as Deepak is quite an affable character that is also naive and innocent at the same time. There is a quiet little feminist in him that he does withold from the world while always worrying about finding Phool, wherein there was even a thought floated of him settling with Jaya. His performance was dignified while being extremely likable with his approach which was always pure, something that all guys could learn from.
Nitanshi Goel as Phool is incredibly good in a character that is oblivious of the worldly ways of patriarchy while remaining grounded and innocent. But I would define her character like a sponge, someone who was willing to learn and be independent in whichever capacity that she could. And Nitanshi delivers an outstanding performance here that always make you want to root for her.
Pratibha Ranta as Jaya is absolutely brilliant with the portrayal of a range of emotions that were there on show. Her character was most progressive, wishing to break the shackles against a society that didn’t allow her to wherein she wished to study while often laying down the importance of education in the field of agriculture. This was a powerful act wherein you are always invested in her journey wherein Pratibha was absolutely brilliant to watch.
Conclusion
Laapataa Ladies is a hilarious and thought-provoking satire on woman empowerment packaged in a solid, feel-good drama that accounts for a brilliant watch. The feminist in me will sleep well tonight! Available in a theatre near you and Highly Recommended!