Laapataa Ladies: Ananth Mahadevan CLAIMS Plot Of Kiran Rao's Film Is A Copy Of His 1999 Telefilm 'Ghoonghat Ke Pat Khol' - Here's What We Know!

The allegations made by Ananth Mahadevan regarding the similarities between his film and Kiran Rao's film Laapataa Ladies have sparked a controversy. Ananth Mahadevan claimed that his film Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol had similar plot points to Laapataa Ladies, particularly involving a mix-up at a railway station leading to a romantic entanglement between two couples. However, Biplab Goswami, the writer of Laapataa Ladies, has refuted these claims, stating that his story is original and not inspired by any existing works. ALSO READ: Laapataa Ladies Cast REUNITES With Aamir Khan-Kiran Rao; Director Shares A Joyful Selfie With The Actors- Check It Out! 

Goswami mentioned that he had submitted the script for Laapataa Ladies to a contest in 2018 and received recognition for its originality. He emphasized that his script, dialogues, characterizations, and scenes are entirely his own creation and not influenced by any other stories, movies, or novels. Goswami also highlighted his background in studying gender discrimination and male chauvinism, indicating his commitment to ethical storytelling practices.

In his own words, Ananth said, "I have seen Laapataa Ladie"s, and the beginning as well as many incidents are the same. In our film, a boy from the city goes to his village to get married. The mix-up happens at the railway station when he asks his new bride, who is in a ghunghat, to wait on a bench [while he goes looking for some information]. When he returns, he joins the wrong bride. The story then follows the two women as they correct the mix-up, only to realise that they have feelings for the other’s partner. So, the four characters annul their original marriage, swap their partners again, and get married.” ALSO READ: Laapataa Ladies Bollywood REVIEW: Kiran Rao Directorial Leaves Celebrities Impressed; B-Town Lauds The Sparsh Shrivastav-Pratibha Ranta Starrer 

The dispute between Ananth Mahadevan and Biplab Goswami raises questions about originality and inspiration in storytelling. While similarities in plot points may exist between different works, the key issue is whether the execution and development of the story are unique and original. Both filmmakers have presented their perspectives on the matter, leaving it up to the audience to interpret the situation. In his defense, Biplab said,  “I received the first runner-up award for it. I wrote the synopsis a decade ago. My story, script, dialogues, characterisation and scenes are all 100 per cent original. I have not been inspired by any story, movie or novel.”

“I have not watched Ananth Mahadevan ji’s movie. I was also recently asked if it’s inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s Bengali novel, Noukadubi. A 60-year-old producer called me much before the film’s release to tell me that a similar episode happened with his mother when she was a bride. I studied about gender discrimination, inequality in villages and male chauvinism when I was a student at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata. I won’t copy somebody else’s story as we are taught the basic ethics and moralities of writing,”

Laapataa Ladies is currently streaming on Netflix and it also stars Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava and Ravi Kishan in major roles.

Image Source: Twitter