Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies has found itself at the centre of a plagiarism controversy after French filmmaker Fabrice Bracq pointed out striking similarities between the film and his 2019 Arabic short Burqa City. In a recent interview with IFP World, Bracq shared his surprise upon discovering several overlapping elements — from key character dynamics to specific plot points and visual gags — which he says echo scenes from his own work.
Bracq highlighted moments such as a naive husband mistakenly taking home the wrong veiled bride, a corrupt police officer flanked by comic sidekicks, and a dramatic twist where a woman escapes an abusive marriage. He noted that Burqa City, written in 2017 and screened in Indian film festivals in late 2019 and early 2020, predates the release of Laapataa Ladies, and that he only became aware of the Bollywood film after being approached by journalists.
In response to the allegations, the film's screenwriter Biplab Goswami issued a statement firmly denying any plagiarism. He asserted that the story was first registered with the Screenwriters Association in 2014 under the title Two Brides, and emphasised that the script, characters, and scenes were developed independently through extensive research. Goswami also underscored the long-standing literary tradition of using veils and mistaken identities in storytelling, referencing classic influences from Shakespeare to Tagore.
In an exclusive interview with us, Goswami elaborated further on the controversy, his creative process, and the emotional toll of the situation.
“THIS ACCUSATION HAS TURNED INTO A CIRCUS”
Reflecting on the way the plagiarism controversy unfolded, Goswami shared, “This entire accusation has been turned into a circus of sorts, which is why I needed to put out my statement on social media. I’m not very active on social media, so I had no clue about the accusations and noise around this. When Kiran and the rest of the Laapataa Ladies team shared with me these completely baseless allegations, I had to put out a statement.” He clarified that Laapataa Ladies was a decade-long journey that began in 2014 when he first registered the story with the Screenwriters Association. “It took 10 years for this story to be shared with the world in the form of a film. When this story won second place at Cinestaan Storyteller's Competition, it reached a global platform.”
“HUMAN EXPERIENCES ARE UNIVERSAL”
Responding to allegations of copying, Goswami made a strong case for the originality of the narrative, while also emphasising the common threads of storytelling. He shared: “What upsets me the most is that faceless social media users have blown this out of proportion by commenting on things which they have no idea about. Human experiences are universal and are shared. While there may be common elements, my work is 100% original.”
“PEOPLE LEVELLING ALLEGATIONS ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE MESSAGE OF THE FILM”
Goswami expressed disappointment that the core intent of Laapataa Ladies was being overshadowed by the controversy. “The circumstance and few elements of the story is what everyone is talking about, but many are missing out on mentioning or spotlighting the message that the team of Laapataa Ladies have tried to present to the audience. The film was a labour of love whose journey started way back in 2014.”
“THERE ARE RULES THAT PROTECT ORIGINALITY”
Standing by his work, Goswami pointed to the mechanisms in place to safeguard original stories in the film industry. He explained, “There are a number of rules to protect originality of the arts in the industry and that’s the reason I could stand strong and give everyone who is accusing me of plagiarism the proof that is needed to state my point.”
“THOSE WHO CREATED THE PROBLEM SHOULD APOLOGISE”
Despite the noise, Goswami remains grounded in the support he has received from audiences across the globe. “We have received so much love from all over the world for the film. The ones who created the problem should apologise to right the wrong they have done,” he says.
Bracq highlighted moments such as a naive husband mistakenly taking home the wrong veiled bride, a corrupt police officer flanked by comic sidekicks, and a dramatic twist where a woman escapes an abusive marriage. He noted that Burqa City, written in 2017 and screened in Indian film festivals in late 2019 and early 2020, predates the release of Laapataa Ladies, and that he only became aware of the Bollywood film after being approached by journalists.
In response to the allegations, the film's screenwriter Biplab Goswami issued a statement firmly denying any plagiarism. He asserted that the story was first registered with the Screenwriters Association in 2014 under the title Two Brides, and emphasised that the script, characters, and scenes were developed independently through extensive research. Goswami also underscored the long-standing literary tradition of using veils and mistaken identities in storytelling, referencing classic influences from Shakespeare to Tagore.
In an exclusive interview with us, Goswami elaborated further on the controversy, his creative process, and the emotional toll of the situation.
“THIS ACCUSATION HAS TURNED INTO A CIRCUS”
Reflecting on the way the plagiarism controversy unfolded, Goswami shared, “This entire accusation has been turned into a circus of sorts, which is why I needed to put out my statement on social media. I’m not very active on social media, so I had no clue about the accusations and noise around this. When Kiran and the rest of the Laapataa Ladies team shared with me these completely baseless allegations, I had to put out a statement.” He clarified that Laapataa Ladies was a decade-long journey that began in 2014 when he first registered the story with the Screenwriters Association. “It took 10 years for this story to be shared with the world in the form of a film. When this story won second place at Cinestaan Storyteller's Competition, it reached a global platform.”
“HUMAN EXPERIENCES ARE UNIVERSAL”
Responding to allegations of copying, Goswami made a strong case for the originality of the narrative, while also emphasising the common threads of storytelling. He shared: “What upsets me the most is that faceless social media users have blown this out of proportion by commenting on things which they have no idea about. Human experiences are universal and are shared. While there may be common elements, my work is 100% original.”
“PEOPLE LEVELLING ALLEGATIONS ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE MESSAGE OF THE FILM”
Goswami expressed disappointment that the core intent of Laapataa Ladies was being overshadowed by the controversy. “The circumstance and few elements of the story is what everyone is talking about, but many are missing out on mentioning or spotlighting the message that the team of Laapataa Ladies have tried to present to the audience. The film was a labour of love whose journey started way back in 2014.”
“THERE ARE RULES THAT PROTECT ORIGINALITY”
Standing by his work, Goswami pointed to the mechanisms in place to safeguard original stories in the film industry. He explained, “There are a number of rules to protect originality of the arts in the industry and that’s the reason I could stand strong and give everyone who is accusing me of plagiarism the proof that is needed to state my point.”
“THOSE WHO CREATED THE PROBLEM SHOULD APOLOGISE”
Despite the noise, Goswami remains grounded in the support he has received from audiences across the globe. “We have received so much love from all over the world for the film. The ones who created the problem should apologise to right the wrong they have done,” he says.
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