'Shocked, surprised': 'Burqa City' director on 'Laapataa Ladies' plagiarism controversy
What's the story
French filmmaker Fabrice Bracq, who made the 2019 Arabic short film Burqa City, has reacted to the alleged similarities between his work and Kiran Rao's critically acclaimed feature Laapataa Ladies.
He claims the Indian film has multiple striking similarities to his project.
The controversy started after a viral social media video compared scenes from both films, sparking a debate on potential plagiarism.
Laapataa Ladies was India's official entry to the Oscars this year but didn't get nominated.
Statement
Bracq detailed his observations in a statement
Bracq expressed his surprise over the similarities in a statement.
He said, "First of all, even before watching the film, I was surprised by how closely the pitch matched that of my short film."
"Then I watched the film, and I was both surprised and shocked to see that, although the story had been adapted to Indian culture, many aspects of my short were clearly present."
Similarities
Bracq highlighted specific similarities between the 2 films
Bracq noted the similarities between the two films.
He said, "Notably - and this is by no means an exhaustive list - the kind, loving, naive husband who loses his wife, contrasted with the other husband who is violent and despicable."
"The scene with the police officer is also striking: a corrupt, violent, and intimidating policeman surrounded by two sidekicks. Of course, there's the moment with the photo of the veiled woman."
Plot twist
Bracq underlined the alleged similarities in the plot twist
The filmmaker added, "There's also the similarity in the plot twist at the end, where we learn that the woman deliberately chose to run away from her abusive husband - a key narrative element in Burqa City."
"And more broadly, the film carries a similar message about women's emancipation and feminism."
Twitter Post
Take a look at this clip from 'Burqa City'
Laapataa Ladies didn’t just copy the 1999 film Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol—it also plagiarized the 2019 short film Burqa City.
— Lokesh Bag (@lokeshbag67) April 2, 2025
Did the makers of Laapataa Ladies even take permission?
And this was India’s Oscar pick? 😂 Guess the only thing laapataa here is originality https://t.co/UbyN3DG02N pic.twitter.com/vu82WA0yHD
Denial
'Laapataa Ladies' writer denied allegations of plagiarism
Responding to the plagiarism allegations, Laapataa Ladies screenwriter Biplab Goswami recently released a strong denial on Instagram.
He claimed, "The story, the dialogues, the characters, and the scenes - all stem from years of research and honest reflection. Our story, characters, and dialogues are 100% original."
"Any allegations of plagiarism are completely untrue."
He added that the screenplay was years in the making and fully original, drawing concepts from extensive research on gender and social issues.
Originality
Goswami emphasized the originality of 'Laapataa Ladies'
Goswami explained the screenplay was developed over the years, starting in 2014, and already had important scenes now seen in the final film.
He also registered a feature-length script titled Two Brides in 2018, which eventually won runner-up at that year's Cinestaan Storytellers Competition.
Goswami also revealed that he had registered the script in 2014, even before the release of Burqa City.
Defense
Goswami cited classical storytelling traditions in defense
Defending the use of mistaken identity due to veils, Goswami claimed that was a classical form of storytelling used for centuries by noted writers.
"The concept of veils and disguises resulting in mistaken identities is a classical form of storytelling used for centuries by writers such as William Shakespeare, Alexandre Dumas, and Rabindranath Tagore (sic)," Goswami said.