'Laapataa Ladies' writer Biplab Goswami denies plagiarism allegations

ANI April 6, 2025 159 views

Biplab Goswami, co-writer of the hit film Laapataa Ladies, has firmly denied plagiarism allegations circulating on social media. He presented comprehensive documentation showing he registered the film's original synopsis as early as 2014, including specific plot details. The writer argues that the screenplay, which won an award in 2018, contains unique scenes and characters that predate the alleged source material. Goswami emphasized that these allegations undermine not just his work, but the entire filmmaking team's creative efforts.

"Our story, characters, and dialogues are 100% original" - Biplab Goswami
Mumbai, April 5: 'Laapataa Ladies' writer Biplab Goswami on Saturday issued a statement, denying claims that the movie's plot has been plagiarised.

Key Points

1

Writer registered detailed synopsis with Screenwriters Association in 2014

2

Screenplay won runner-up award at Cinestaan Storytellers Competition

3

Provided documentation to defend originality

4

Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao's film faces plagiarism accusations

Lately, a section of social media users pointed out that the hit Hindi film, produced by Aamir Khan and directed by Kiran Rao, had similarities to an Arabic-language short film titled Burqa City.

Reacting to plagiarism allegations, Biplab, who co-authored the film with Sneha Desai, mentioned that first detailed synopsis for the movie was submitted in 2014 with the working title 'Two Brides'. He also provided the 'relevant documents' to support his stance.

"The screenplay for Laapataa Ladies was developed extensively over many years," he wrote in his note.

Biplab added, "I first registered the film's detailed synopsis, outlining the entire story with the working title 'Two Brides', with the Screenwriters Association on July 3, 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. I had also clearly written about the scene of the worried groom going to the police station and showing the only photograph he had of his missing bride to the police officer, but the bride's face was covered with a veil, resulting in a comedic moment. On June 30, 2018, I registered the feature-length script 'Two Brides' with the SWA. This script won the runner-up award at the Cinestaan Storytellers Competition in 2018. Again, in this screenplay, I had the scene of the policeman amused by the photograph of the veiled bride."

"Our story, characters, and dialogues are 100% original. Any allegations of plagiarism are completely untrue. These allegations not just undermine my efforts as a writer, but also the tireless efforts of the entire filmmaking team," he said.

Have a look at his post

https://www.instagram.com/p/DID_i46zUrs/?img_index=2

The film, which was released in March 2024, also Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, and Ravi Kishan in key roles.

Reader Comments

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Priya K.
I loved Laapataa Ladies! The story felt so fresh and original. It's sad that people are making these accusations without proper proof. The writer has clearly shown documentation dating back years. 🙌
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Rahul S.
While I enjoyed the movie, I do think the premise is quite similar to Burqa City. Maybe it's just coincidence, but the core idea is nearly identical. That said, the execution in Laapataa Ladies was brilliant!
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Ananya M.
The writer has provided solid evidence that the concept existed since 2014. People should do their research before throwing around serious accusations like plagiarism. The film was amazing and deserves all the praise it's getting! 💯
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Vikram P.
I think both films could have independently arrived at similar concepts. The veil confusion is a pretty universal idea in cultures where veils are common. The important thing is how the story is told, and Laapataa Ladies did it beautifully.
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Sneha T.
The documentation seems convincing, but I wish the production team had addressed this proactively before the allegations surfaced. A simple "inspired by real-life incidents" disclaimer might have prevented this controversy. Still a great film though!
M
Mohit D.
Saw both films. While the basic premise is similar, the treatment, characters and cultural context are completely different. Laapataa Ladies has such a distinct Indian flavor that makes it unique. Stop comparing apples and oranges!

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
Laapataa Ladies Biplab Goswami Aamir Khan Kiran Rao Plagiarism Bollywood Film Controversy
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