Plagiarism Allegations: ‘Laapataa Ladies’ and ‘Burqa City’ Draw Comparisons, Filmmakers Respond:

Fabrice Bracq, the director of the 2019 Arabic short film Burqa City, has raised concerns about the plot similarities with the 2024 Indian film Laapataa Ladies. In an interview with IFP, Bracq said he was taken aback by how closely the pitch and narrative structure of Laapataa Ladies resembled his work.

Bracq noted that he only learned about the Indian feature on April 3 and expressed disappointment given its critical and commercial success. Laapataa Ladies, directed by Kiran Rao and backed by Aamir Khan Productions, has been India's official entry to the 2025 Academy Awards.

Bracq Points to Plot, Scenes, and Themes Shared by Both Films

Bracq said that upon watching Laapataa Ladies, he recognized several elements from his film, including specific scenes and the central plot twist. He stated that while the film was adapted to reflect Indian culture, the core structure and message were similar.

His short film Burqa City, created in 2018 and presented at festivals in 2019, tells the story of a newlywed man searching for his wife after she is mistakenly identified as another burqa-clad woman. Similarly, Laapataa Ladies follows a groom named Deepak, whose bride is swapped with another veiled woman during a train journey.

Bracq added that both films address themes of women’s emancipation and societal expectations.

Biplab Goswami Rejects Plagiarism Accusations, Shares Script Timeline

In response, Biplab Goswami, the writer of Laapataa Ladies, issued a statement denying all allegations of plagiarism. He clarified that the story, initially titled Two Brides, was first registered with the Screenwriters Association (SWA) on July 3, 2014. The complete script was later registered on June 30, 2018.

Goswami emphasized that all story elements, characters, and dialogues are original. He condemned the claims as harmful to the credibility of the filmmaking team and reaffirmed that the script had been developed well in advance of Burqa City's release.

Possible Talks Between Teams on the Horizon

Bracq expressed his interest in opening a discussion with the production team behind Laapataa Ladies, which includes Aamir Khan Productions, Kindling Pictures, and Jio Studios.