- By Ridhi Suri
- Thu, 26 Sep 2024 10:46 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
A modern adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore's 1906 Bengali novel Noukadubi, Laapataa Ladies, directed by Kiran Rao, features Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Chhaya Kadam, and Ravi Kishan. It centers on two newlywed brides who are accidentally swapped during a train journey to their husbands' homes. Laapataa Ladies premiered at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2023, and hit theaters on March 1, 2024. It received positive reviews from both critics and audiences, who praised its engaging story, screenplay, and performances.
The film won the Best Film (Critics' Choice) award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and has been selected as India's entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards. Now, the film is selected as India's entry for the Oscars 2025.
Following this, Kiran Rao shared insights into how she incorporated the everyday struggles faced by women at various life stages into the narrative, while also highlighting her decision to cast fresh talent for the film. At India Today Conclave 2024, she said, "We felt that keeping the story rooted and organic would make it far more believable and enjoyable. I think that's one of the key reasons the audience responded so well to it. With a completely fresh cast, people didn’t recognise the actors, allowing them to forget and fully immerse themselves in the world of the film. That worked in our favour."
"We put a lot of thought into how to integrate the everyday struggles women face at different stages of their lives into the story. But we wanted to do it through humour because no one wants a lecture when they go to the cinema. I genuinely believe humour is one of the best ways to tackle some of the most uncomfortable issues. The premise itself—a mix-up of two women on a train due to their ghunghats (veils)—was so absurd, it naturally lent itself to comedy," she added.
About Laapataa Ladies
The film's co-producer, Aamir Khan, came across the story Two Brides by Biplab Goswami during a scriptwriting competition. Filming took place on location in the villages of Bamuliya and Dhamankheda (Dhankhedi) in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore district. Local villagers were cast in supporting roles, and the production utilised actual homes in the area for shooting.