Laapataa Ladies (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – It’s a jolly mess when two young brides get lost from a train. Set in 2001, somewhere in rural India.

My Take – Ever since its conception in 2001 with the Oscar nominated Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, Aamir Khan Productions has gained a reputation for being an esteemed production house which, with the exception of Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), delved mainly in exceptional storytelling both set in modern and heartland landscapes.

Taking forward its legacy is this sophomore directorial venture from Kiran Rao, following her 2010 art house flick Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries), that serves as a perfect treat, being high on content, humor and an organic strong social message.

It is one of those small films with a big heart that you fall in love with right from its novel premise to interesting sequence of events, stellar performances and superb finale, indeed the film deserves the all praise it has been receiving for its originality, honesty and sincerity.

Led by earthy performances from Jamtara star Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, Nitanshi Goel and a scene-stealing Ravi Kishan, director Rao’s comedy drama successfully addresses patriarchy and women empowerment, offering a brilliant cinematic experience that despite being devoid of any melodramatic twists and turns manages to be engaging, stirring and heartwarming throughout.

Sure, for some the 124 minute length might be a slight issue, but the straightforward and focused tale of two women gone missing without a doubt makes for a terrific watch precisely for making a point without really hammering on the same thing or being repetitive.

Set in 2001 in the fictional state of Nirmal Pradesh, the story follows Deepak (Sparsh Srivastav) and Phool (Nitanshi Goel), a young recently married couple, who are on a multi-legged train journey somewhere across the MP, Chattisgarh and Bihar circuit to Deepak’s village. Finally boarding a train occupied by other couples who have also recently gotten married.

However, in the dark lazy confusion of midnight, when their destination arrives, Deepak accidentally grabs and brings home Pushpa Rani (Pratibha Ranta), another man’s identically attired and veiled bride on her own interstate journey, who was traveling in the same compartment.

Meanwhile, Deepak’s actual wife, Phool, barely out of her teens, finds herself lost hundreds of kilometers away from home and can’t even remember the name of Deepak’s village. Only to find shelter nearby with the help of a chirpy Chhotu (Satendra Soni), who does odd jobs for a rail platform tea and snacks kiosk run by the feisty Manju Maai (Chhaya Kadam).

But as Pushpa becomes a guest at Deepak’s house for a while, she also comes under the eye of the local inspector Shyam Manohar (Ravi Kishan), who suspects her to be a part of a runaway bride gang known for absconding with expensive jewelry and money. Thus begins a roller-coaster ride of rural eccentricities and unsettling but life-altering chaos that ensues, which allows the women especially to discover themselves.

Adapted from a story by Biplab Goswami and scripted by Sneha Desai (who has also written the dialogues with additional inputs from Divyanidhi Sharma), this one is a social satire with a pronounced feminist accent that gives the film its rationale. The story weaves little nuances to tell a tale that never forces you to pay attention. It simply ebbs and flows from one scene to another and at a pace that is easy to follow.

Even when it comes to treatment of the story and its execution, the film never goes over the top. There’s enough and more breathing space that allows you to stay hooked and invested in every character. It lands you into a world where people want to lead simple lives, following norms set by their ancestors.

Here, the film uses humor, sarcasm, and a bit of suspense to send subtle messages about how patriarchy can stifle the dreams of young girls. Both Jaya and Phool have dreams of being happy in their lives but their ways and means of achieving it are very different.

The film makes poignant speeches about old traditions of brides, such as not taking husband’s names, not getting an education, not making careers, and covering the face with a veil. That veil is what causes all this fiasco, and it’s a metaphorical take on the issue without any troublesome or complicated commentary.

It’s a very tight rope that director Rao treads when it comes to striking a balance in the film’s narrative. The rural dialect with a dash of Bhojpuri trigger genuine laughs, and gladly, it’s never to a point that it takes away from the seriousness of the narrative and turns it into a comedy. She deftly and sensitively handles the subject matter. She never lets the film feel preachy or a deliberate attempt at proving a point.

Performances wise, Sparsh Shrivastava is excellent. Having garnered praise for his Netflix series Jamtara, here, Shrivastava shows an entirely different facet and his restrained act wins you over. Nitanshi Goel is very endearing to watch and the film gives her ample scope to perform, totally selling us her innocence. Pratibha Ranta gets the most impactful role, her efforts behind the rural dialect and body language is evident.

Amid all this, Ravi Kishan as the small town cop, who won’t mind accepting under-the-table favors, steals the show. He has some of the best comic punches and one-liners that leave you in splits. In supporting roles, Chhaya Kadam, Geeta Aggarwal Sharma, Satendra Soni, Rachna Gupta and Durgesh Kumar stand out. On the whole, ‘Laapataa Ladies’ is a compelling rural drama with a delectable blend of heart, mind, and humor.