Laapataa Ladies Review: A Perfect Example Of How Mindful Humor Can Win Big Hearts

Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies got my attention when it was selected for the Toronto Film Festival, last year. With its unique plot which can only occur in India. The film is made by Aamir Khan Production, a studio that is known for producing some of the best story-driven films, from Peepli Live (in 2001) to Secret Superstar, Dangal, and many more.

So, let’s dive into this small film with a big heart, where the Brides get lost, names are changed, and a police officer chews tobacco the whole way through the film. But as the film reaches its finale everyone evolves from the journey, along with the audience.

Laapataa Ladies Plot:

Set in 2001 (the year is very important as it can’t happen now, because of the Internet), in the frictional state of Nirmal Pradesh. A young but honest Deepak gets married to Phool Kumari. Phool like her name is innocent and naive, who only wants what her parents wanted for her and now that place is replaced by her husband Deepak. As they get onto a train, which is full of many other newly married couples and all the brides are in ghooghat. 

They reach their station at night, Deepak in half asleep grabs the hand of the bride next to him, but little does he know that she is not actually his wife Phool. As they reach their home, an expected disaster happens as the ghooghat gets lifted to see the new bride’s face. She says she is Puspa Rani, and like Deepak, she also didn’t know that this is not her husband and got out of the train due to the ghooghat. 

As Deepak reaches the police station, we meet Shyam Manohar, a corrupt police officer who chews tobacco literally all of the time. As he asks about the details he gets suspicious that Pushpa is hiding something from everybody. And that’s how the plot of the film pans out.

When Phool gets off at a station named Pateela, where she meets Manju Maai (played by Chhaya Kadam), a proud owner of Manju Tea Stall, she doesn’t follow age-old narratives by stating out loud “It’s not shameful to be a fool but being proud of one’s ignorance is a shame.” Who becomes a teacher cum mother figure for Phool, who doesn’t know anything apart from that her Deepak’s Village name is based on a flower. 

So, throughout the film, everybody tells her the name of flowers so that she might remember the name of the village. The film is full of sweetness and simplicity like this. Laapataa Ladies will make you smile while making you realize the strengths and struggles of women in India.

Also Read: Laapataa Ladies Cast And Characters In Detail!

Authentic and Well-Written Story:

We have to give credit to writers Biplab Goswami, Divyanidhi Sharma, and Sneha Desai, who have written the story with the honesty that it deserves. You will find cleverly written dialogue which at first makes you laugh while making you think the next, which not many films want us to do nowadays. 

The story takes us through every character in the film, even the most minor ones, while also balancing the line between entertainment as well as social messaging. The themes that Laapataa Ladies want to convey never become nosey or irritating. 

There is a small scene in the film, as Deepak goes to the market to find Phool with the only photo he has of her. Takes on the wedding day, and of course she is in a ghooghat. He asks a Muslim tailor, whether he has seen her, to which he replies that her face is covered, how will anyone know her identity? Meanwhile, the tailor’s wife walks in with a tea cover in a burkha. Which makes me wonder what types of traditions and customs we are following blindly.

Directions too, is really top-notch as Kiran Rao manages to bring out compelling rural characters from this young cast. Not even one beat of the film feels out of place or exaggerated. As many comedies fail to register themselves as authentic comedy films, this one scores full marks. 

Also Read: All India Rank Review: Varun Grover Makes Preparing For IIT More Personal

Cast Makes The Character Memorial:

All three leads Starting from Sparsh Srivastav (Plays Deepak), Nitanshi Goel (Plays Phool), and Pratibha Ranta (Plays Pushpa), are the gems of the film. Be it Deepak’s dedication, Phool’s naiveness, or Puspa’s maturity, each character has a depth that they deserve. 

Ravi Kishan plays the character as he truly is a corrupt police with a decent heart, I can’t just imagine someone better than him to play Police Inspector Shyam Manohar (I read somewhere that Aamir Khan had auditioned for this role, and I’m very grateful he has given this role to Ravi Kishan). I can just imagine how iconic and popular this character will become once the OTT release. Last but not least Geeta Aggarwal has perfected the role of a small-town mother, as always she is just amazing to watch on screen.

Overall Thoughts:

Laapataa Ladies is the story of love and genuine freedom, which can only be found by getting lost sometimes. This film is truly for everyone from audiences who love massy mainstream films to cinephiles who like a quiet but thoughtful film. It’s amazing how much the makers have put the effort into detailing the film. Like the names of the characters which by the way perfectly align to their roles. This is a must-watch, even if you don’t find anything appealing in the film you can just watch for the true laughter it gives you.

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