“Laapataa Ladies” review: Kiran Rao’s new film from the Indian heartland, releasing March 1, 2023, stars Nitanshi Goel, Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, and Ravi Kishan.
Heartland stories are fun. More so when they set out to send a strong social message without being in-your-face and instead are laced with subtle, organic humor. That’s the idea behind Kiran Rao’s latest directorial venture, “Laapataa Ladies,” which serves as a perfect treat, being high on content, comedy, and conversations.
A stirring and heartwarming rural drama, the film lacks any melodramatic twists and turns that would take away from its simplicity. It’s straightforward and focused on making a point without really hammering on the same thing or being repetitive.
The dialect is what catches your attention from the word go, so be fully sincere to absorb the dialogues, for that’s where the actual fun and comedy lie.
Even when it comes to the treatment of the story and its execution, “Laapataa Ladies” never goes over the top. There’s enough and more breathing space that allows you to stay hooked and invested in every character.
The plot
Shot in Madhya Pradesh, “Lapataa Ladies” is set against the rural backdrop of fictional Nirmal Pradesh. The story starts in a second-class train compartment where a bunch of newlywed couples are traveling to their respective villages, and all brides have their faces covered with long ghoonghats (veils).
Deepak (Sparsh Shrivastava), dodging the darkness of the night and getting off the train in a hurry, grabs his wife’s hand and makes way for his village.
On a truck, then on a friend’s scooter, he is excited to make his new bride meet his family and neighbors. Soon the couple reaches the village, and everyone welcomes them, saying, ‘bahu aa gayi’ and a bunch of kids call her ‘chachi’.
The moment the mum-in-law tells the new bride to lift her ghooghat because ‘yahan sab apne hi hai’, the puja ki thali falls on the ground everyone realises, she’s not the girl their son got married to.
As the realization dawns upon Deepak that he has brought someone else’s wife, Jaya (Pratibha Ranta), he can only think of his actual wife, Phool (Nitanshi Goel), who is left behind on the train without any money or address to go to. And then begins a jolly mess.
The only wedding picture that Deepak of Phool shows is her face covered in ghoonghat, and no one can recognize her. Stranded in some other village called Pateela, Phool finds herself absolutely alone and helpless, running from pillar to post, trying to find some clue to get to her husband.
She encounters several lechers and also some good men who help her out. Phool’s search for her husband is even more difficult because neither she remembers the name of her husband’s village nor she can name her husband, because in rural areas, that’s a strict no-no.
In another world, Jaya, who was married against her will is happy to have been distanced from her real husband and is secretly busy making plans for the future.
Always wise, never preachy
Written by Sneha Desai, Biplab Goswami, and Divyanidhi Sharma, the story weaves these little nuances to tell a tale that never forces you to pay attention. It simply ebbs and flows from one scene to another and at a pace that is easy to follow.
It lands you into a world where people want to lead simple lives, following norms set by their ancestors. I loved the way “Laapataa Ladies,” on the one hand, highlights the gender stereotypes that have existed in our society for a long, and on the other hand, smashes them without feeling apologetic.
Rao treads a very tightrope when it comes to striking a balance in the film’s narrative. The rural dialect with a dash of Bhojpuri triggers genuine laughs, and gladly, it’s never to a point that it takes away from the seriousness of the narrative and turns it into a comedy.
That being said, Rao never enters the preachy zone either. She keeps her message on a lighter tone yet makes a strong impact leaving you with enough food for thought.
More details
“Laapataa Ladies” is set sometime in 2001, way before mobile phones became an extension of our bodies and WhatsApp an inseparable part of our lives.
There is no social media either, so no way you can search for someone in the virtual world. Despite this disconnect, how the film effortlessly finds a connection and becomes relatable is worth mentioning.
As a socially relevant film, the film touches upon varied subjects ranging from female education, and infertility to dowry and domestic violence and does not go overboard with any of it. Nowhere do you feel like you are reading chapters from text books on issues that matter, instead, Rao opts for a very pragmatic approach to address these prevalent societal norms. I like how Rao uses her protagonists to the best of their abilities and layers their characters in a manner that they don’t end up being one-dimensional.
Stellar debuts
For debutants Nitanshi and Pratibha, “Laapataa Ladies” gives them ample scope to perform in their author-backed roles. They are naive, innocent, and extremely convincing in their parts. The efforts put behind their rural dialect and body language is evident.
Sparsh, who garnered praise for his Netflix series “Jamtara” shows an entirely different facet and his restrained act wins you over. There are several heartwarming moments between Phool and Manju Mai, which will bring a smile to your face.
Amid all this, Ravi Kishan as the small-town cop, who won’t mind accepting under-the-table favors, steals the show. He has some of the best comic punches and one-liners that leave you in splits.
“Laapataa Ladies” isn’t just about two brides who get swapped and feel lost in two different worlds. It’s about how they find themselves while being vulnerable, and that leads to a new beginning of their lives. A clean comedy, a full-on entertainer, “Lapaata Ladies” makes for a perfect family watch.
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