Laapataa Ladies review; A charming film filled with humour and strong message

Laapataa Ladies by Kiran Rao adds a great mix of fiction and realism in a fun way. This is also her second stint in film direction after Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries).

The film is set in 2001 in a fictional state, ‘Nirmal Pradesh’. As the name suggests, the film revolves around two ladies who are essentially laapataa (lost). However, don’t get fooled by the name as harsh as it may sound, the film is based on light comedy and drama.

Premise and overview

The film features Phool (Nitanshi Goel) as a newly-wed bride with her husband Deepak (Sparsh Shrivastav). Chaos ensues after the funny unthinkable happens when Deepak finds he did not come home with his wide Phool.

Instead, he brought back Jaya (Pratibha Ranta) who was also in the same train compartment with them. What follows is a desperate attempt by Deepak to look out for Phool while Jaya gets comfortable in her new home after being married forcefully previously.

On the other side of the story, Phool has landed on another platform entirely separated from Deepak. What’s even more troublesome is that she does not remember where she came from or was going with her husband.

One of the strongest parts of the film is the dialogue. While simple, they try to convey and touch on the reality and problems faced by women across multiple places.

At the railway station, she encounters Manju Mai who runs a tea stall, who might come as a thugy but is a real softie. She is portrayed as a strong character with a lot of experience in life.

The film while being a piece of fictional work does not shy away from touching on the reality of the world. Phool encounters various types of people across her journey.

The overall reception is very positive towards the film, with fans calling it charming, beautiful and humorous. The originality and a different approach to women’s empowerment make the film a must-watch.