PremiumKiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies 'heavily' inspired by Arabic short film Burqa City? Frustrated netizens say, 'Plagiarism in India'
Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies has been accused of copying a 2019 Arabic film called Burqa City. The film was selected as India's official entry for the 2025 Oscars.
Last Updated: 11.58 AM, Apr 02, 2025
Kiran Rao's comedy drama Laapataa Ladies has been making headlines even after 1 year of release. The film was selected as India's official entry for the 2025 Oscars. However, recently, the film has been accused of copying a 2019 Arabic film called Burqa City. A video of Burqa City has gone viral on social media, making netizens wonder if Kiran Rao's Bollywood movie is not real.
Laapataa Ladies is copied from Arabic short film Burqa City?
Recently, a video of Arabic short film, Burqa City has surfaced on social media and created a buzz whether Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies is copied from that short film or not. The viral clip showed that the Arabic movie revolves around a newly married man's search for his wife, when by mistake another woman wearing a burqa walks into his place. Meanwhile, Laapataa Ladies is also about two newlywed brides, Phool and Jaya, who get accidentally swapped during a train journey.
Netizens found Laaptaa Ladies a plagiarised content. “Nothing that Bollywood produces seems to be an original work of art. They are all brazenly copy pasted from somewhere else, shamelessly billed as original work," one of the users wrote.
“Plagirism in India. Not a new concept," added another. “Abhi kuch nahi ho sakta..I was under the impression that it was original..good that this movie gave one beautiful song Sajni re by Arijit," a third comment read.
More about Laapataa Ladies
The OTTplay review for Laapataa Ladies reads, "Kiran Rao has made a film that wants to talk to you and not bombard you with its idea of being a human. Surrender and let the jokes make you laugh, the conversation resonates, and the final smile of victory comforts you and makes you a better person."
The film is set in 2001 in the fictional state of Nirmal Pradesh, where a farmer, Deepak, travels back to his village with his new bride, Phool Kumari. During a crowded train journey, Deepak mistakenly gets off with another bride, Jaya, while leaving Phool with another groom, Pradeep, because the brides wore similar dresses and veils. The story explores themes of financial independence, female desire, self-discovery, and challenges to patriarchal norms.
The movie was praised by several celebrities, including Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and others.
Produced by Aamir Khan, Laapataa Ladies is directed by Kiran Rao. The cast of the movie also features Sparsh Shrivastava, Nitanshi Goel, and Pratibha Ranta. The movie, which was released on the big screen, is currently streaming on Netflix.
Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else in the world of streaming and films.