Laapataa Ladies Sparks Concerns as Burqa City Director Seeks Discussion Over Similar Plotline

Burqa City director wants to meet Laapataa Ladies makers to discuss noticeable similarities between both films' stories and treatment.

Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies has recently drawn attention on social media for its similarities with an Arabic short film titled Burqa City. While the film has earned critical praise and even made it to the Oscars shortlist, this similarity has left the original filmmaker quite disturbed.

Burqa City director Fabrice Bracq, in a conversation with IFP, said he hadn’t seen Laapataa Ladies until people pointed out the resemblances. After watching the film, he admitted, “I was both shocked and saddened.” Bracq added that Laapataa Ladies is a huge success in India, and it’s unfortunate for him because he had plans to adapt his short film into a full-length feature. “That won’t be possible now,” he said with disappointment.

When asked about his next move, Fabrice replied, “For now, I’m not sure— probably to have a discussion with the production team of Laapataa Ladies.”

The French filmmaker also listed the similarities between the two films. He pointed out that both stories have a “kind, loving, naive husband”, a “violent and despicable” husband, and a “corrupt, violent” police officer. One of the most striking points was the photo of a veiled woman, which appears prominently in both films. Bracq also said, “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.”

Bracq further mentioned that his film was written in 2017, shot in 2018, and screened at film festivals in 2019. It was also shown in India at the Kalpanirjhar International Short Film Festival in Kolkata and the Auroville Film Festival in 2020, where it received an award.

Meanwhile, Laapataa Ladies writer Biplab Goswami clarified that he had registered the script in 2014 with SWA and the final version in 2018 under the title Two Brides. He said, “These allegations not just undermine my efforts as a writer, but also the tireless efforts of the entire filmmaking team.”