Director: Kiran Rao
Cast: Sparsh Srivastava, Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Ravi Kishan and others
Where: In cinemas near you
Rating: 4.5
When filmmaker Kiran Rao helmed Dhobi Ghat in 2010, Hindi cinema was experiencing an early stage of transition, and her film was certainly confined to critical acclaim. Although the film not only established Kiran as a storyteller but also alarmed several other writers and directors to bring about change through their lenses,.
Fourteen years later, Kiran is back with a gem, Laapataa Ladies, that is not less than a cult. Her second directorial outing is much more entertaining, sincere, pure, and palatable to our audiences.
Deepak (Sparsh Srivastava) marries Phool (Nitanshi Goel), but on the way back home, he gets Jaya (Pratibha Ranta) as his wife to his village by mistake. He seeks help from a local cop, Shyam Manohar (Ravi Kishan), to find his real wife, Phool. Will he succeed?
Well, Kiran brings a heartwarming tale against the backdrop of the rural India. Her film is primarily a drama, but it highlights several issues on the overall well-being of female as a gender. The beauty of the film lies in its clever writing, which moves you rather than shakes you up in every way imaginable. How beautifully Kiran speaks through her voice and lens!
Laapataa Ladies is an important film for both the masses and classes, but non-starry films have no status in Hindi cinema, and sadly, that has been an accepted formula. The film is a genius in its own way and aims to sail through on its individuality.
Kiran tells her story in the most simplistic way one can think of, but it evokes emotions right from the beginning to the last frame. The film makes you laugh, cry, think, and be compelled—all simultaneously. The film is humorously rich and represents an apt portrayal of social taboos that still exist today.
Gauri Shinde’s English Vinglish (2012) and Vikas Bahl’s Queen (2013) are the testimonies of wholesome family entertainers, but foremost, they are bona fide films that brought a change in the way we look at female-oriented films. It seems like, with Kiran’s film, a trilogy of its own kind has been completed, with the earlier two being the flagbearers.
Laapataa Ladies can be called as one of the finest from the Hindi film industry so far, and Kiran Rao’s vision is rare and top-notch. Newcomers Sparsh, Nitanshi, and Pratibha are such great performers that it is certainly impossible to move your eyes from them. Ravi Kishan delivers a long-lasting performance that will be remembered for years.
Laapataa Ladies is unmissable. Kiran’s film is a medium-proof film. It is the purest form of artwork that one can witness in the longest time—be it on celluloid or on OTT.
