Kiran Rao's Oscar entry, Laapataa Ladies (2023), came under fire after netizens accused the creators for plagiarising Arabic short film Burqa City (2019). As per Times of India, the controversy began with a viral clip comparing scenes from the two films. In Burqa City, a man takes home a burqa-clad woman who turns out not to be his wife, while in Laapataa Ladies, two veiled brides get switched accidentally.
After the controversy hit social media, French filmmaker Fabrice Bracq, who made Burqa City, spoke to IFP about his views on the situation. Bracq claimed that he didn't know about Laapataa Ladies until only recently. "First of all, before even watching the film, I was surprised by how closely the pitch matched that of my short film," he said.
"Then I watched the film, and I was both surprised and shocked to see that, although the story had been adapted to Indian culture, many aspects of my short were clearly present."
The filmmaker then compared the premises and the characters, such as the contrasting husbands, the corrupt policeman, and a scene in Laapataa Ladies that depicts a woman in a burqa. Bracq feels that there are similarities in the plot twists, as well. "And more broadly, the film carries a similar message about women's emancipation and feminism."
Speaking about his own film, which is set in a Middle Eastern city, he said, "This short film was written in 2017 and shot in February 2018. It was presented at festivals around the world in 2019." The film also received an award at the Auroville Film Festival 2020 in India.
Bracq revealed that he found out about Laapataa Ladies through an email from the interviewer and a message from his actor, Omar Mebrouk, on Thursday. "When I found out, I was both shocked and saddened, especially since I understood that the film has been a huge success in India and was even shortlisted for the Oscars," he said. "As for me, I had hopes and was in discussion to adapt Burqa City into a feature film. But is that even possible now?"
On his next steps, Bracq admitted that he wasn't sure of how to proceed with the situation, safe for the possibility that he would contact the production team of Laapataa Ladies.
Claims denied
On Saturday, Laapataa Ladies writer Biplab Goswami issued a statement on social media, denying the claims of plagiarism. He began by stating that the screenplay was developed extensively over many years.
He added that he registered the film's detailed synopsis with a working title, Two Brides, in 2014. "Even within this registered synopsis, there is a scene that clearly describes the groom bringing home the wrong bride and being shocked and stricken upon realising his mistake because of the veil, along with the rest of his family. This is where the story takes off."
Goswami went on to address all comparisons drawn by the netizens and Bracq, providing evidence that these ideas were his own. "The concept of veils and disguises resulting in mistaken identities is a classical form of storytelling used for centuries by writers," he said. "Our story, characters, and dialogues are 100 per cent original. Any allegations of plagiarism are completely untrue."
He concluded, "These allegations do not just undermine my efforts as a writer, but also the tireless efforts of the entire filmmaking team."
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