Laapataa Ladies

Story:

Laapataa Ladies is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film that was directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Rao, Aamir Khan, and Jyoti Deshpande. It was released overseas as Lost Ladies. It centers on two young newlywed ladies who are switched on a train voyage to their husbands’ houses and stars Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Chhaya Kadam, and Ravi Kishan.

The movie debuted in theaters on March 1, 2024, after being exhibited at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2023. Critics and viewers gave the movie favorable reviews when it first came out, and the plot, writing, and performances of the actors were all commended.

At the Melbourne Indian Film Festival, it took home the Best Film (Critics’ Choice) award. The movie was chosen as India’s submission for the 97th Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category.

Plot

A farmer named Deepak and his new bride, Phool Kumari, are returning to their hamlet in the imaginary state of Nirmal Pradesh in 2001. They board a packed passenger train with a lot of other recently married couples. As is customary, the brides all don identically colored bridal gowns and cover their faces entirely with a ghoonghat (veil). Deepak falls asleep and awakens in the middle of the night to discover that he has reached his objective. In the darkness and confusion from the rush to leave, he disembarks with the wrong bride and Phool is left behind on the train with the other groom, Pradeep.

His family welcomes the newlyweds, but they are startled to learn that the bride is not the right one. She lies to them about her origins and gives them the fictitious name Pushpa. Phool discovers the confusion at a different station, but the station master cannot assist her because she does not know the name of Deepak’s village. Because she doesn’t want to embarrass her family, she also won’t return home. She decides to stay at the station in case Deepak comes looking, and is helped by Manju Mai, who runs a tea stall on the platform.

In a desperate attempt to find Phool, Deepak reports the incident to SI Shyam Manohar. Manohar suspects Pushpa of stealing. As he pursues her, he witnesses her purchasing bus tickets, using a cell phone, and selling jewelry. Deepak’s family becomes friendly with Pushpa. While working at the tea shop, Phool assists Manju Mai in making kalakand and gains independence.

When Manohar discovers that Pushpa’s real name is Jaya, he arrests her because he believes she is a member of a gang of robbers. Jaya discloses that she planned to enroll in an organic farming course in Dehradun but that her family forced her to marry Pradeep and that she does not want to go back because of Pradeep’s abuse of her.

Pradeep shows up for Jaya at the police station. In front of the police, he slaps her and threatens to take back her mother’s entire dowry. Manohar claims that his behavior is illegal and that Jaya cannot be made to accompany someone because she is an adult. He releases Jaya and threatens to arrest Pradeep for domestic abuse and for killing his former wife by burning her alive if he ever touches Jaya.

In order to create posters stating that Phool is missing and providing contact information in case she is located, Jaya had asked Deepak’s sister-in-law Poonam to draw a picture of her. Jaya departs for Dehradun to continue her studies, while Phool eventually finds her way back and reunites with Deepak.