New Delhi: Biplab Goswami, the writer behind Kiran Rao’s much-loved film 'Laapataa Ladies', has shut down claims that the movie’s plot is plagiarised.

Earlier this week, a clip from a 2019 Arabic short film called 'Burqa City' started doing the rounds on social media, with people pointing out similarities between the two films. In 'Burqa City', a newly married man sets out to find his wife after she’s mistaken for another woman wearing a burqa. In 'Laapataa Ladies', the story follows Deepak, who ends up bringing home the wrong bride after a ghoonghat mix-up on a train.

“These claims are completely untrue”

In a statement shared on his official Instagram account, Goswami responded to the allegations, calling them baseless.

“Our story, characters, and dialogues are 100% 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,” he wrote.

Goswami went on to explain that the Laapataa Ladies screenplay had been years in the making.

Registered back in 2014

“I first registered the film’s detailed synopsis, outlining the entire story with the working title ‘Two Brides’, with the Screenwriters Association on July 3, 2014,” he shared.

“Even within this registered synopsis, there is a scene that clearly describes the groom bringing home the wrong bride and being shocked and stricken upon realising his mistake because of the veil, along with the rest of his family. This is where the story takes off.”

He also pointed out a specific scene from the early version of the script involving a visit to the police station.

“I had also clearly written about the scene of the worried groom going to the police station and showing the only photograph he had of his missing bride to the police officer, but the bride’s face was covered with a veil, resulting in a comedic moment,” Goswami added.

Script won an award in 2018

The full script, he said, was registered with the SWA in June 2018 and went on to win the runner-up award at the Cinestaan Storytellers Competition that same year.

“Again, in this screenplay, I had the scene of the policeman amused by the photograph of the veiled bride,” he said.

“It’s a classic storytelling device”

Goswami also pointed out that the idea of mistaken identity because of disguises or veils isn’t new.

“The concept of veils and disguises resulting in mistaken identities is a classical form of storytelling used for centuries by writers such as William Shakespeare, Alexandre Dumas and Rabindranath Tagore,” he said.

“Laapataa Ladies uses this mistaken identity form with entirely original and unique characters, setting, narrative journey, and social impact.”

He also spoke about the amount of research and personal reflection that went into the story.

“The story, the dialogues, the characters, and the scenes—all stem from years of research and honest reflection. I was deeply invested in understanding the nuances of gender discrimination and inequality, rural power dynamics, and male chauvinism across both Indian and global contexts.”

All about the film

Directed by Kiran Rao, Laapataa Ladies stars Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Chhaya Kadam and Ravi Kishan. The film was produced by Rao’s Kindling Pictures, Aamir Khan Productions, and Jio Studios. It released in cinemas in March 2024 and was later picked as India’s official entry to the 2025 Oscars.

(PTI inputs)