‘Laapataa Ladies’ Review: A Feel-Good Social Dramedy Represents India at the Oscars

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As a lifelong devotee of cinematic storytelling, I find myself enamored with “Laapataa Ladies” – a delightful Bollywood romp that skillfully navigates the intricate web of societal norms through the lens of humor and heartfelt performances. Kiran Rao’s deft touch is evident in her ability to weave together the literal and symbolic, resulting in a crowd-pleaser that leaves you with a warm, fuzzy feeling – for better or worse, that innate goodness is hard to resist.

In a delightful twist on tradition, the Bollywood film “Laapataa Ladies” (known as “Lost Ladies” in some regions) skillfully employs its broad social commentary from the world of Bollywood. This storytelling method can sometimes be overt for widespread appeal, but director Kiran Rao masterfully blends literal and symbolic elements, creating a film that appeals to many – carrying both virtues and flaws, with an underlying essence of goodness.

For the first time since 2011’s “Dhobi Ghat”, Rao is back as director. This film, titled “Laapataa Ladies”, deviates from her debut in terms of music, with Ram Sampath composing a lively and energetic score to maintain the film’s humorous themes.

In a case of mistaken identity on a train ride, two newlywed couples, Deepak Kumar (Sparsh Shrivastava) and Phool Kumari (Nitanshi Goel), and Pradeep Singh (Bhaskar Jha) and Jaya Tripathi (Pratibha Ranta), unknowingly switch places due to an accident. The confusion arises because both wives are wearing identical red veils, as per tradition, making it impossible for them or their husbands to recognize each other upon leaving the train with their respective spouses’ partners.

In the year 2001, before India‘s telecom boom, the characters are spread out over great distances and their communication is limited due to a lack of modern technology. Information is scarce and carefully guarded. Soft-spoken Phool loves Deepak but doesn’t know where his family lives, and even hesitates to mention her husband’s name in certain situations – a cultural custom that author Goel skillfully portrays. Stranded on a railway station, Phool is befriended by a group of independent individuals, including an old cook named Chayya Kadam who intrigues Phool with her straightforward demeanor. On the other hand, the despicable Pradeep, who scares Phool off with his unwanted advances instead of helping her, persistently pursues Jaya for sinister purposes.

In another part of this confusion, Deepak fails to notice that Phool is missing until he returns home with the veiled woman identified as Jaya. The family is left puzzled, and Deepak is nearly devastated; Shrivastava gives a heartfelt portrayal in his role. They offer Jaya refuge while Deepak searches for Phool. At first, the corrupt Sub-Inspector Manohar (played by Ravi Kishan), who chews tobacco excessively, provides no assistance from the police. However, Jaya, posing as Pushpa to Deepak’s family, is determined to prevent both wives from returning to their husbands. Ranta delicately explores this situation with caution, gradually revealing more about Jaya’s hidden aspects, which her in-laws and even her own family were unaware of.

The gendered norms which prevent both women from thriving, and which lead to their interchangeability in the first place, are visually established early on, but they also frequently re-appear in the dialogue. This is not unexpected from a mainstream Bollywood social drama, given the genre’s broad audience, and it does run the risk of becoming repetitive. The conversations, however, feature a snappy musicality that temporarily circumvents this problem: an impressive feat of moment-to-moment editing that, unfortunately, ends up in friction with the movie’s overall structure. Scene-to-scene, “Laapataa Ladies” doesn’t quite have the same smoothness. It moves on far too quickly from each moment, each punctuation and each punchline, cutting away to the next plot point a bit too mechanically to allow for space to ruminate on what’s being said, or what it means. However, these flaws end up being plastered over by how meaningfully the two leading women end up impacting each other’s lives from afar.

Sneha Desai’s screenplay explores the norms of Hindu weddings and women’s roles in Indian society, yet it doesn’t often make their oppression vivid by connecting it to the harsh realities of social and economic suppression or reprehensible individuals. Instead, most characters seem more like observers than active participants or influencers. However, the film’s broad appeal might be one reason for its popularity, as well as Rao’s talent for portraying vibrant interactions between her characters, even when they explicitly express each hidden theme. This method is worth embracing due to how engaging “Laapataa Ladies” ultimately feels.

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2024-12-10 04:18