Director Ananth Mahadevan Claims Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies Is Similar to His 1999 Movie. (Photo Credit – Instagram)
Advertisement
Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies has made everyone fall in love with the story of Deepak, Jaya, and Phool. The internet has been raving about the sweet and hilarious Heartland story. And it has already become one of the best movies of 2024. Director Ananth Mahadevan made wild claims that Kiran’s movie was very similar to his 1999 movie, Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol. After the claims went viral, the story’s original writer responded, and here’s how everything went down.
Ananth Mahadevan, a National Award-winning filmmaker, has sent waves online. He claims that Kiran Rao‘s critically acclaimed Laapataa Ladies is a copy of his 1999 film Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol. Netizens have been lending support to Ananth, but Biplab Goswami, the original author of Lapataa Ladies, maintains that the “story, script, dialogues, characterization and scenes are all 100 percent original.”
Laapataa Ladies, according to Ananth Mahadevan, shares plot points with Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol, which also focuses on two brides. In an interview, he said, “I have seen Laapataa Ladies, and the beginning and 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. When he returns, he joins the wrong bride. The story then follows the two women as they correct the mix-up. Only to realize that they have feelings for the other’s partner. So, the four characters annul their original marriage, swap their partners again, and get married.”
In support of Ananth on Saturday, writer Nivedita Shukla took to X. She shared her opinions and the posters for the two films in question. “In the past, I had appreciated Laapataa Ladies, and it is now being celebrated for surpassing views of Animal on Netflix. But little did I know that it has been copied from @ananthmahadevan ‘s “Ghoonghat ke pat khol”. Which was first aired in 1999 on Doordarshan Gold under their Director’s cut series.”.
In the past I had appreciated Laapataa Ladies, and it is now being celebrated for surpassing views of Animal on Netflix.
But little did I know, that it has been copied from @ananthmahadevan‘s “Ghoonghat ke pat khol”.
Which was first aired in 1999 on Doordarshan Gold under their… pic.twitter.com/QqzxAMciDd
— Nivedita Shukla (Modi ji ka Pariwar) (@OfRunjh) May 24, 2024
Shukla said “Surprisingly, the telefilm that was available on YouTube was removed after Laapataa Ladies picked it up and Ananth called out the makers. All that morality, work ethic gyan, and self-righteousness to dump on the public, but when it comes to practicing it, then all goes down the drain.” Ananth then thanked her and other supporters while also mentioning that his film probably inspired Kiran’s movie.
Biplab Goswami’s Response
In response to Ananth’s accusations, Biplab Goswami of Laapataa Ladies told the portal that his story was original and that he had submitted the script to the 2018 Cinestaan India Storytellers Contest. “I received the first runner-up award for it. I wrote the synopsis a decade ago. My story, script, dialogues, characterization, and scenes are all 100 percent original. I have not been inspired by any story, movie, or novel.”
Biplab concluded, “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,” Biplab mentioned that it was a story that resonated with many people.
